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There is a revival of interest and popularity of temple art, says Rakesh Sinha
KNOWN by their gold-leaf plating and gem-studded figures of Hindu gods and goddesses, Tanjore paintings are long-forgotten specimens of temple art. These are now being picked up by investors and galleries for a fortune. A Tanjore painting costs between Rs 500 and Rs 80,000, depending on the intricacy of the work, the size of the painting and of course, the gold and stones used. The credit for resuscitating this art goes to the Chettinad royal family. Their palace in Madras has the largest collection of Tanjore paintings in the world. The Karnataka Chitra Kala Parishad has started special courses for women on this art form. Likewise, in Andhra Pradesh, Tanjore Art Emporiums are cropping up at tourism sites. "People are rediscovering the magic of Tanjore paintings," says art historian K. P. R. Pillai, who has recently published a book on the subject, The Gilded Edge. "The only problem is that a lot of fakes are being passed on as genuine works." In its original form, the Tanjore tradition of painting never left Thanjavur, the pilgrimage centre about 300 km away from Chennai from where the art got its name. Home to the famous Brihadisvara temple, the township is also known for its exquisite pith work, jewelled swords and colourful textiles. Thanjavur paintings flourished under the royal patronage of Maratha kings. The style of painting was popular between the 17th and 19th centuries. Outside its immediate environs, Tanjore paintings were little known, except for the British elite who took a peculiar fancy to its golden splendour. The artists were, however, reluctant to sell their works to non-Hindus because of their association with gods and goddesses. "Even though Tanjore paintings did not qualify as high art, the style holds considerable historical importance," explains Pillai. "Another reason for their popularity was the scarcity of classical pieces in the art market around that time." Unlike the tradition of miniature paintings in northern India, figures in the Tanjore art are monumental and robust. The paintings were invariably framed, as was the case with all functional art in the past. These were meant for puja rooms, to be viewed from a distance with respect. "Conventional Hindu gods like Lord Vishnu, Shiva and Krishna were favourite subjects of the artists," narrates Sripathy, a national award-winning artisan. "They adhered strictly to the canons of iconography, as the paintings were made for rituals and worship and not for display." The master painter explains the technique, which usually takes a week to complete a painting. The process begins with preparing a base of jack wood by pasting it with stretched unbleached cloth, called gada in Tamil. On this, the outline of the figures is sketched out. On this a mixture of limestone, chalk powder, gum and honey is applied, layer after layer. At this stage, thousands of dots are embossed with the paste. All surface areas that need to be raised (such as drapery and jewels) are given extra coats of the same paste. Once dry, the gems and stones are set on the painting frame. Originally, real diamonds, pearls and rubies were used and a gold leaf was pressed onto the painting with glue, made from tamarind paste and molten jaggery. Today, the commercial versions make use of gold powder and gilded paper. But the colour schemes are true to tradition. The background is always painted red or black while detailing like drapes and furnishing is almost often green. — MF |
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