Vinyas: About paintings

home

about paintings

art classes

shopping cart

gallery

features

site information

Tanjore Painting

Tanjore, which got its name from the ancient pronunciation of the place -- Thanjavur, is located in the southern part of India. It was the capital of Chola Empire that promoted all forms of art, including a style of painting that now bears its name.

Tanjore paintings are a textual art. Tanjore paintings have a spiritual background. Like any form of art, this too has many schools of style. Some of the artists are traditionalists, preferring to emulate the old works, while some believe in creativity. In the past, Tanjore Paintings comprised primarily the figures of Lord Krishna in various postures, depicting a story or an anecdote in Hindu scriptures. However, over time, other gods were depicted as well still retaining the traditional technique.

Many people believe that more of gold in the painting, the better. However this is not true. Gold should be used with caution, only to highlight details rather than a substitute. As far as the cost of the paintings is concerned, a lot depends on the age, quality, and subject, intricacy of the work and usage of gold. Old paintings, and sometimes even new ones, depicting a rare subject could cost a fortune.

The fact remains that the best way to judge a painting is by looking at the technique, the lines, the colours, and the approach to the subject, and the best way to acquire one is to commission an artist or a studio. At Vinyas we treat each painting as our own, regardless of the size, subject and complexity.

A true virtual art form will always adapt and survive.

Technique of Tanjore painting

Painting is started with the preparation of the base with jack wood. A layer of unbleached fabric is pasted over this and the whole surface is made smooth.
The outline is drawn in freehand on paper. A copy of the same is transferred to the main board.
The areas that need to stand out in relief are carefully built up using tamarind glue and chalk powder. Also, areas where gems need to be embedded are placed.
24 karat gold leaf is carefully cut into strips, or squares, or in the shapes that are required and is pasted over the relief work.
Then starts the process of painting the background and shading for the faces and the bodies to suggest a fuller, more lifelike representation, standing out clearly from the composition.

Mysore Painting

The delicate lines, the graceful delineation of figures and the discreet use of bright colours and lustrous gold describe the Mysore paintings. However, these have mythological themes for the subject and are known for their iconographic treatment of the deities as in the Vijayanagar School.

The Vijayanagar Empire [1336-1565 A.D] that held complete sway over south India developed an independent school of art and made lasting contribution to the development of Indian paintings. The Vijayanagar Artists contributed a good deal to the development of three distinct schools, namely the Deccani School [sultanate], the Mysore School and the Tanjore School. The Mysore school was at its zenith during the rule of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar [1799-1868 A.D], thanks to the royal patronage. The art gallery in the Jaganmohan palace at Mysore, Karnataka is a living tribute to the great love for paintings shown by this ruler.

Technique of Mysore painting

Painting is started with the preparation of the base which is paper and wood.
After the preparation of the base, a rough sketch of the picture is drawn.
Gesso work, a mixture of lead powder and glue, is prepared wherever necessary to give the required embossing.
Then the 24 karat gold leaf is pasted with the help of the glue and painting work starts.

Difference between Mysore and Tanjore paintings

The paintings of the Mysore school are often mistaken for those of the Tanjore School because of certain resemblances arising from the fact that they belong to the same tradition. A careful study can however point out the following differences:

Tanjore paintings are prepared on cloth with wood as base, while Mysore paintings are prepared on paper on cloth and wood.
Materials used in both styles are different. Raw lime powder is used along with a paste made of powdered tamarind seed for Gesso work, while in Mysore style Gesso is prepared by mixing white lead powder, gamboges and glue.
Mysore paintings are lighter and more ornate than their Tanjore counter parts.
In Mysore paintings a greater emphasis is on fine lines and delicate detail, especially on corner scroll designs, clothing and other decorative elements.
Mysore style has no gem setting and glass embellishment as compared to Tanjore style.