Tanjore Paintings

Tanjore Paintings have their origins in the town of Thanjavur located in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tanjore is the anglicized form of the name Thanjavur. Tanjore painting as an art form was developed more than four hundred years ago. Most of these paintings depict scenes from Hindu mythology. Some of the paintings feature saints and other religious
personalities as well.

Tanjore paintings are made on panels that comprise of cloth stuck to a rectangular wooden plank. First the basic sketch is made on the cloth. A water soluble adhesive which has been mixed with chalk powder is then applied to the base. The human figures in the sketch are then adorned with Jaipur stones, which are multi-colored, semi-precious stones. Gold coated threads are also used to decorate the miniature jewelry on the paintings. The apparel on the figures are colored with various colored dyes, making the paintings come alive with vivid colors.

Tanjore paintings are highly sought after handicraft items from India. These paintings are acquired by art collectors from all over the world. Since the gold foil used for art work is of a high quality, these paintings stays intact for decades, and sometimes get passed on to successive generations. As time goes by, these pieces of art appreciate in value as well and possess enormous antique value for collectors.

The most traditional form of Tanjore paintings features the antique style where the entire picture is painted with subtle colors adorned with gold foil that has a more sober form of glitter. In the Classic style, more vivid colors are used, supplemented by gold foil that has a high glitter. The Emboss painting style is similar to the Classic style expect that it has more depth and relief details added to the texture of the painting. Visit this site on Tanjore Paintings