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Venugopal Krishna with Gopis | Tanjore Painting with Frame

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$1250

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Venugopala or Venu-Maadhav is a heavenly aspect of Sri Krishna, blowing sweet melodies in his Venu or flute and becoming a source of nourishment for the residents of Vrindavan. Standing under the shade of a tree populated by animals and birds who flock to listen to the music of Venu, Krishna in this Tanjore painting is in his adolescence, innocent and charming to behold. He is beautifully attired from head to toe and has a colorful floral garland framing his graceful Tribhanga or triple bent pose.

Four gopis, carrying musical instruments, garland, and Makhan (butter) surround Krishna, offering pleasantries to him and asking him to continue playing his Venu for them. The Veena in the hand of the Gopi on the right and the violin carried by the one on the left, are representative of the cultures of East and West respectively, telling the tale of Thanjavur’s journey, in which the artwork picked iconographic and cultural influences from around the world, to narrate the stories of India.

Symbolism in this Tanjore artwork is profound and beautiful. The cow and calf in the background, with the cow licking Krishna’s foot as a sign of her affection and the calf drinking her milk create an image of affection and devotion. The pitch-black backdrop is a a symbol of Krishna’s omnipresence as well, who has been often compared to the dark bumblebee, in terms of his ethereal beauty and lovely black form.

This item can be backordered

Time required to recreate this artwork

4 to 6 weeks

Advance to be paid now

$250 (20%)

Balance to be paid once product is ready

$1000

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Item Code:	DDC831
Specifications:	Traditional Colors With Gold Work
Dimensions	35.00 inch Height X 29.00 inch Width X 2.50 inch Depth
Weight:	10.90 kg

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100% Made in India

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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.

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