Tamil
Nadu is known for its traditional ornate paintings, known as Tanjore
paintings. This unique art form has its origin from Tanjore in South India.
The portrayal of figures in these paintings is breathtakingly brilliant. The
early paintings were embedded with real diamonds, rubies and other precious
stones. Presently, pure gold foils and semi precious stones are used to
adorn the paintings.
History Of The Art :
Tanjore or Thanjavur as it is called today acquired its name from the
ancient pronunciation of the place, which was then called "Thanjavoor".
It was then the capital of the mighty Chola Empire. The Chola rulers besides
being great warriors were builders of magnificent temples and great patrons
of arts. It was against this setting that this highly specialised form of
art with its characteristically beautiful ornamental relief work flourished.
The Tanjore School of Paintings dates back to the 16th century. However,
there are only a few paintings that date back that far. The fact remains
that most of the paintings that exist today are not even a hundred years
old.
The Creation Of The Paintings :
The creation of this painting involves a lot of dedication and several
stages of meticulous work of art. The first step involves creating a base.
The base is made of a cloth pasted over a wooden or a plywood base. Then a
paste of chalk powder or zinc oxide mixed with some water-soluble adhesive
is applied on the board. To create a smoother board a mild abrasive can be
used.
After this begins the image making process. A preliminary sketch of the God
is made on the board. After the drawing is made, decoration of the jewellery
and the apparel is done with semi-precious stones. Semi-relief work is done
with a paste of chalk powder and gum Arabic. Laces or threads are used to
decorate the jewellery. On top of this, the gold foils are pasted. Finally,
dyes are used to add vibrant colors to the figures in the paintings. A
beautiful frame is then selected to accentuate the beauty of the painting.
Tamil Nadu Arts
The Paintings :
The paintings are mostly of Gods and Goddesses because this art of painting
flourished at a time when fine-looking and striking temples were being
constructed by rulers of several dynasties. The figures in these paintings
are large and the faces are round and divine. However, with the rebirth of
this art in the 20th century, artists in addition to recreating the original
Tanjore figures are also experimenting with more proportioned figures,
birds, flowers, animals, etc.
The paintings are notable for their adornment in the form of semi-precious
stones, pearls, glass pieces and gold. The rich vibrant colours, dashes of
gold, semi-precious stones and fine artistic work are characteristics of
these paintings. They add beauty and culture to a variety of surroundings
and decor.
