Krishna with Rukmani & Satyabhama Tanjore Painting | Traditional Colors with 24K Gold | Teakwood Frame

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Intricately designed green tiles are laid on the floor of Sri Krishna’s royal palace, whose grandeur is enhanced by the curving arches and pillars covered in gold and inlaid with striking red cut glass. In the background are towering snow-capped mountains and trees, an unusual feature for a Tanjore artwork, which usually comes with a monotone backdrop. A gold pillar in the left half of the painting with fine floral motifs has a gold saucer full of a variety of fruits placed on it, giving a suitable setting for the interiors of a regal household.

In a relaxed yet stately manner, Sri Krishna in this Tanjore is the central subject for the artist, who has offered him a bewildering assortment of kingly ornamentation. To Krishna’s elaborate updo, the artist has added gold jewelry along with two peacock feathers and tassels of flowers strung together. A small red dot, usually worn by Hindu women adorns Krishna’s moon-like face, which is alluring to the gaze with its large eyes and a lovely smile.

Simple lines on the torso give the required musculature to the physique of Krishna, which is beautified by several necklaces, a floral garland, and a heavy girdle that sits clenching his orange Kayabandha (waist cloth) around his quintessential Pitambara (yellow cloth). Rukmani and Satyabhama are clad in glistening saris embellished with miniature floral patterns and identical ornaments studded with fiery red glass. The only distinction between the two queen consorts of Sri Krishna in this Tanjore painting is in the patterns on their sari and their postures.

Rukmani, glowing beauty of sandal skin tone stands in a refined and still manner, with her hand in the Katihasta mudra (placed on Kati or waist, emanating a queenly aura that matches the demeanor of her husband, a true ideal of wifely virtues. Satyabhama on Krishna’s right has no care for anyone but her beloved and gazes at him intently, mirroring the innocence and mischief of a younger heroine (Nayika) in love. Both the heavenly queens complement the world-renowned splendor of Sri Krishna, shining on his sides like the stars with a full moon. 

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.