Large Superfine Panja Moorthy Tanjore Painting | Traditional Colors With 24K Gold | Teakwood Frame

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The Thanjavur artwork is divided into three halves on the canvas, by imposing city gates or Dwaras with striking Kirtimukha present as the heavenly guardians. Two secondary arches and the central arch are all in the idiom of South Indian temple architecture, which gives the elements a discernible grandeur. Rich drapery and floral decorations hang from the archways, from which the five deities make a stunningly dramatic appearance on the canvas.

The festive procession is led by Bhaktas carrying beautiful lamps and dhvaja (flag), accompanied by a set of devotees who holds the first palanquin of the Deva-vrinda (group of deities), which belongs to the Prathamapujya Sri Ganesha. The palanquin is followed by a crowd of devotees with the icons of Vishnu-Narayana with his wives, Bhudevi and Sridevi, and it ends with Meenakshi Amman and Kumara Karttikeya or Subramanyam.

The central image of this procession, which defines the cultic affiliation of this festival as Shaiva is the combined icons of Shiva and Parvati, with Dashanana Ravana in his feet, in Shiva’s “Ravanaugraha” (showing anugraha or compassion to Ravana) roopa. Shiva and Shakti are adorned divinely and covered by a gold embellished royal Chattari, while Ravana plays his “Rudra Veena” in the praise of Shiva Mahadeva. Adding to the dynamic aura of this tableau, drops of the Prasadam (food offering) placed in front of the deities fall on the ground, giving us an aesthetic idea of the dramatic movement of the procession.

Individual treatment is given to the figure of each devotee in this Tanjore painting, coloring them with distinctive skin tones, dressed in ethnic garments, and caught in different postures that bring an appreciable true-to-life effect to the scene. The use of red and blue in the background, and a beautiful horizon on the topmost section, with the Sun and the Moon, bearing witness to the festivities, adds opulence to the artwork.

A rich embossing especially on the architecture and gold leaves on the attire of the divinities infuses this Thanjavur painting with a magnificence beyond words. Balancing detailing and sumptuousness, this Tanjore artwork defines the rich devotional roots of Thanjavur’s artists, who become painter-devotees in bringing the divine to the human realm. 

Gilded Elegance: Unraveling the Artistry of Tanjore Paintings

Tanjore painting is a traditional form of art in the South Indian style and was started by the inhabitants of a small town known as Thanjavur of Tamil Nadu. This gives it another name called “Thanjavur painting”. This painting draws its figures, designs, and inspiration from the time when Vedic culture was prevalent in India. Certain remarkable features of a Tanjore painting distinguish it from other paintings. Some of these are pure gold or gold foil coating on gesso work, the use of rich and vivid colors, and the inlay of cut-glass or semi-precious and precious stones. The subjects of most of the Tanjore paintings are Hindu Gods, Goddesses, and saints. The main devotional figure is portrayed in the central portion of the painting and is usually surrounded by various secondary figures.

The process of making a Tanjore painting

The classic Tanjore paintings are done on wooden planks and hence are also referred to as Palagai Padam in South India (Palagai = Wooden plank, Padam = Picture). Creating a masterpiece is never an easy task but the skilled artists of Thanjavur have been following the tradition of making timeless Tanjore paintings for decades.

The making process begins with preparing the wooden board or canvas. The size of the board depends upon the choice of the patron. The next step is to paste cardboard over the wooden board and then a cotton fabric is stretched and pasted upon it using Arabic gum.

Now that the cloth is attached to the wooden panel, a rough sketch of the motifs and figure is drawn onto the fabric. After this, a paste of chalk powder and water-soluble adhesive is evenly applied over the base and smoothed.

Thereafter, the outlines which were made or traced using a stencil are now ready to be beautified and decked with various add-ons. The usual materials for decoration are cut-glass, pearls, semi-precious and precious gems, gold leaf, and laces. 22 or 18 Karat Gold leaves and gems of varied hues are especially inlaid in areas like pillars, arches, walls, thrones, and dresses. In the final step, the rest of the painting is filled with rich and striking colors such as shades of red, blue, and green. Formerly, the artists used natural colors like vegetable and mineral dyes instead of chemical paints. The entire painting is then cleaned and refined to give a flawless finished look.

Since the making of a single piece of Tanjore painting requires a complex and elaborate process, the artists usually take at least one or two months to complete it. The use of pure gold foil and gems for beautification is a characteristic of an authentic Tanjore painting. Due to this, Tanjore paintings last for generations without getting tarnished and are much more expensive than general paintings. Though the art form has undergone various changes and technique modifications over the years, it continues to attract the hearts of art lovers.