A canvas that's holy & embellished

Tanjore, also known as Thanjavur or Thanjavoor Art, has its origin in Tanjavoor, the capital city of the Chola Dynasty. Maratha princes, the Nayaks of Vijayanagar dynasty, the Raju communities of Tanjore and Trichi, and the Naidus of Madurai, are known to have patronised the art of Tanjore painting from 16th to 18th centuries.

Tanjore painting, till date, is one of the most popular forms of classical South Indian paintings. Considered a sacred art, most of these paintings have a central theme of Hindu gods and goddesses, including some saints. The main figure is depicted in the centre of the painting. Since Tanjore paintings are mainly done on solid wood planks, they are locally known as ‘Palagai Padam’ (palagai meaning wooden plank and padam meaning picture).

Every painting stands out for its dense composition, surface richness and vibrant colours. Embellishments with semi-precious stones, pearls and glass pieces further enhance their look and appeal. The relief work gives them a three-dimensional effect.

There are several arduous steps in the making of a Tanjore painting.  First, a preliminary sketch of the image is drawn on the cloth, which is pasted over a wooden base. Then, chalk powder is mixed with a water-soluble adhesive and applied on the base. Thereafter, the drawing is made and then meticulously decorated with cut glass, pearls and semi-precious stones.

Sometimes, laces or silk threads may also be used to decorate the painting. To further accentuate the overall effect, wafer-thin sheets of gold are pasted in relief on some parts of the painting, and the other parts are kept in vibrant colours.

Finally, an appropriate frame is selected to showcase the beauty of the painting. The work can be done in various sizes, ranging from huge canvases spanning whole walls to small miniatures not bigger than six-inch square.

The frames used for Tanjore paintings are generally of two types — plain wooden one, and Chettinad one, which is more ornamental with interesting patterns and designs. Also, instead of breakable glass, transparent acrylic sheets are used to avoid breakage during transit.

Tanjore paintings are deeply rooted in tradition. However, lately, artists have extended this art to make figures of birds, flowers, animals, etc., as per the demand. Originally, Tanjore art was embedded with real diamonds, rubies and other precious stones. Later, use of semi-precious and artificial stones gained popularity. The artists emphasise the fact that it is in the detail-oriented decoration of the gods and goddesses that the creativity of an artist is best demonstrated. The features are breathtakingly brilliant with rounded bodies and almond-shaped eyes, which is unique to Tanjore art.