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A taste for TANJORE art
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The shine and gleam on the gold leaves used by the Tanjore style paintings last forever
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Sripathi giving instructions to an art enthusiast at the painting workshop.
Aconglomeration of artistic creativity under one roof, with all paraphernalia scattered everywhere and a group of busy heads active with the brushes - that was the 10-day Tanjore painting workshop recently organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism at the Kshetra Art Gallery.
The rich tapestry of colours and dashes of gold and semi-precious stones were the characteristic feature of the 40 exhibits of Tanjore paintings of P. Sripathi who had come down from Hyderabad for the workshop.
A Rashtrapati Award winner in Tanjore gold leaf painting, he had demonstrated the Tanjore art in several countries, including Russia and Japan.
During the workshop, participants learnt about the technique of reverse painting on glass. "Painting for some is a hobby and for others it is a source of income. For a few, it is purely a pleasure seeking creativity," Sripathi told THE HINDU.
History
Tanjore or Thanjavur as it is called today was the capital of the mighty Chola Empire. The Chola rulers, besides being great warriors, were builders of magnificent temples and great patrons of art and fine arts.
It was against this setting that this highly specialised form of art with its characteristically beautiful ornamental relief work had flourished.
The Tanjore school of paintings dates back to the 16th century. An extraordinary visual amalgamation of both art and craft, Tanjore paintings mainly consist of themes on Hindu gods and goddesses.
According to Sripathi, Tanjore painting artists originally hailed from Andhra who had migrated to regions like Thanjavur and the art became renowned by the name of Tanjore. "Though they have been in Tamil Nadu for generations, the artists have not forgotten their mother-tongue and speak Telugu," he said.
What sets Tanjore paintings apart from Indian paintings in general are the embellishments made over the basic drawings with precious and semi-precious stones as well as the relief work which gives them a three-dimensional effect.
The pictures are of varied sizes, ranging from huge works spanning whole walls to small miniatures no longer than six-inch square. No wonder that these pictures adorn many a connoisseur's collection!
A Tanjore painting by P. Sripathi -- Photos: C.V. Subrahmanyam
The figures in these paintings are large and the faces are round and look 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.
Treasures
These paintings are remarkable in their step-by-step creation from the actual canvas board to the final touches. Adorned with rubies, diamonds and other precious gemstones and trimmed with gold foil, Tanjore paintings are verily treasures worth preservation.
"Nowadays, however, semi-precious stones are used in place of real ones, but the use of gold foil has not altered," explained Sripathi.
The procedure
The canvas for a Tanjore painting is usually a plank of wood over which a layer of cloth is pasted. The cloth is coated with lime paste and softened by rubbing with a smooth stone till the overlay is levelled and even. Now, the canvas is ready for painting. On this canvas, the artist draws a detailed pencil-sketch.
Layers of paste made from glue and limestone are moulded and applied on the canvas to create a three-dimensional effect in embellishing a theme. Selected gems of varies hues are in-laid onto this layer of paste. Gold leaves are affixed on selected areas to add to the opulence of the paintings. The shine and gleam on the gold leaves used by the Tanjore style paintings, lasts forever.
"We have received an overwhelming response in this workshop. We want to expand our range of activities in the coming years and make them more participatory by making grounds for such workshops," said Vidya, owner of Kshetra Art Gallery.
NIVEDITA GANGULY
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Delhi
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