All about Tanjore Painting 

| Read time: 4 minute(s)

Art World
By Kinjal Trivedi

Tanjore is a style of painting from the town of Thanjavur in Southern part of India. During the 1600s, the resources found and extracted from within the earth was in abundance. The kings, merchants, and elite class quickly realized the potential of gold, the malleable precious metal that can be used in various ways from building furniture, to covering walls, to making jewelry and also making art objects like sculptures, idols and depict Gods. Tanjore painting, as called in English, is a method of creating gold foil and covering the form of God in its intricate shape. The base of the figures are made with gesso which is a thick substance which can be molded according to the desired shape and stuck on flat wood or metal. After gold foil is added, the painting is adorned with precious and semi precious gemstones. The main subject of the painting is usually an image of God. The surrounding border is a pillar of a temple or an over head covering like umbrella. This style is very precious because of the Gold and Precious stones used. Art Collectors, Museums, Palaces from around the world usually collect the paintings created by traditional Tanjore artists from Thanjavur because of the high valuation is incurs. In modern times like ours, the same intricate technique is replicated and carried forward by simplifying the form and instead of using gold and precious stones, we use Gold paint and bright colored background to enhance the subject. This is a clever way to carry the tradition of Thanjavur village from ancient times to future. Traditional Tanjore painting with gold foil covering Close up of Gold Foil and Precious stone adornment Ashtalakshmi. Depiction of 8 goddesses in Tanjore style.

Tanjore is a style of painting from the town of Thanjavur in Southern part of India. During the 1600s, the resources found and extracted from within the earth was in abundance. The kings, merchants, and elite class quickly realized the potential of gold, the malleable precious metal that can be used in various ways from building furniture, to covering walls, to making jewelry and also making art objects like sculptures, idols and depict Gods.

Tanjore painting, as called in English, is a method of creating gold foil and covering the form of God in its intricate shape. The base of the figures are made with gesso which is a thick substance which can be molded according to the desired shape and stuck on flat wood or metal. After gold foil is added, the painting is adorned with precious and semi precious gemstones.

The main subject of the painting is usually an image of God.

The surrounding border is a pillar of a temple or an over head covering like umbrella.

This style is very precious because of the Gold and Precious stones used. Art Collectors, Museums, Palaces from around the world usually collect the paintings created by traditional Tanjore artists from Thanjavur because of the high valuation is incurs.

In modern times like ours, the same intricate technique is replicated and carried forward by simplifying the form and instead of using gold and precious stones, we use Gold paint and bright colored background to enhance the subject.

This is a clever way to carry the tradition of Thanjavur village from ancient times to future.

Traditional Tanjore painting with gold foil covering
Close up of Gold Foil and Precious stone adornment
Ashtalakshmi.

Depiction of 8 goddesses in Tanjore style.


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