Tanjore painting is considered one of the most popular forms of classical South Indian painting in India. This indigenous tanjore painting art form of Thanjavur, also known as Tanjore, a town in Tamil Nadu. It originated in Tanjore in Tamilnadu and is popular with contemporary Indian women to flaunt their artistic inclinations and tastes.
A classic art form in South India, Thanjavur painting, also known as Tanjore painting, is a celebration of the region’s rich artistic tradition and is named after Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, India. Indian Thanjavur paintings differ from other paintings by having a dense composition of surfaces, richness, and vibrant colors: the paintings feature semi-precious stones, pearls, and pieces of glass, which further enhance their charm.
Thanjavur painting, a classical art form from South India known as Tanjore painting, has undergone various changes over the years but is still popular today with art lovers and has inspired many artists with its Indian style. Art is known for its extravagant depictions of deities, vibrant colors, and elaborate ornaments such as gold foil.
It is an art of Tamil Nadu, and he flourished in the city of Thanjavur (Anglicanised in Tamil Nadu as “Tanjore”) known for its art and has a unique history in the culture of South India.
The art of classical music and dance attracted a lot of attention in the 16th century AD during Vijayanagara Rayas. However, the unique and colorful world of Thanjavur painting is a painting school that had its origins in the city during the reign of Maratha in the 16th century. Today, the school is kept alive by a few hundred dedicated artists from Tamil Nadu, India.
One such painting school, Tanjore painting, originated in South India and flourished under the patronage of the royal family Vijayanagar Maratha. Like many other forms of painting in India, this style reflects the culture of a community and its beliefs and practices and the artists who have passed their art from generation to generation. Thus, Tanjore painting attracted various cultural groups that promoted it and were also influenced by other prominent painting styles such as the Vijayanagara School, Kalamkari, and Tirupati painting.
Tirupati paintings were made in the famous temple cities of Tirupati and used various media and techniques to depict deities, many of which had gold-plated gems similar to Tanjore painting. Tanjore’s images were made from wooden planks and linen canvases supported by wooden frames made from South Indian silk and textiles.
The main features of the Tanjore paintings are vibrant colors, inlays embedded in gold foil, functioning glass, precious stones, and glittering gold. Tanjore’s images look bold and rich, and they are often printed on fabrics to create an outfit big enough to fit into formal clothing. The region is also known as Thanjavur (Thanjavoor) for its art, which has its origins in Tanjivoor, the capital of the Chola Dynasty.
It is believed that the art form originated in the 16th century during the reign of the Cholas. His date is one of the most popular forms of classical South Indian painting. The ancient art form originated in Tanjavur, the capital of the former Chola Empire, and is popular with contemporary Indian women to display their artistic inclinations and preferences.
The Maratha princes of the Nayak Vijaynagar dynasty and the Rajus community of Tanjore and Trichi Naidus of Madurai also promoted this art form in the 16th and 18th centuries. As the dynasties changed over time, the popularity of the painting grew and continues to this day. Most images considered sacred art have a central theme of Hindu gods and goddesses, including saints.
There are also many examples of Jain, Sikh, Muslim, and secular objects depicted in these paintings. These paintings are named after the southern states of India, in particular, Thanjavur and Tamil Nadu. Since Tanjore paintings are painted on solid wood planks, they are known as Palagai or Padam (palagi means wooden plank, and Padam means picture).
Cave paintings by Ellora, Bhimbetka, Sittanavasal, and many others show the life of the people of this time, the deities they worshipped, and much more about their lifestyle. The colors, textures, and materials used in these paintings give us a direct insight into the time of art’s creation. This jewel of Thanjavur boasts images primarily known for their originality and unique way of creating 3D effects in a single work of art.
The painting of Tanjore was distributed by the Chola Dynasty that ruled the districts of Thanjavur, Madurai, and Trichy in the 16th century and was sponsored by Maratha princes like Nayakas Vijayanagar Emrpie Raju in Tanjores Tiruchirapalli and Naidus in Madurai during this time.
The style was dominated by Hindu gods, goddesses, and saints. The Cholas were great lovers of art and sculpture, and when you touch Tamil Nadu, you cannot turn your gaze away from the vast temples that illustrate the Dravidian architecture style.
Although most of the paintings depict child Krishna and his various pranks, they also created artifacts of other deities. The district of Thanjavur is famous for multiple arts and crafts, but painting is one of the other tanjore painting in Thanjavur, like the toy of the Thanjavur plate.
In a hectic world, such images give peace to those who own them and those who make them. The most famous are the paintings of Kashi Viswanath.
