Thanjavur painting is a classical South Indian painting style, which originated from the town of Thanjavur. The art form draws its immediate resources and inspiration from way back about 1600 AD, a period when the Nayakas of Thanjavur under the suzerainty of the Vijayanagara Rayas encouraged art—chiefly, classical dance and music—as well as literature, both in Telugu and Tamil and painting of chiefly Hindu religious subjects in temples. It is distinguished by its famous gold coating. The paintings Thanjavur are characterized by rich and vivid colors, simple iconic composition, glittering gold foils overlaid on delicate but extensive gesso work, and inlay of glass beads and pieces or very rarely precious and semi-precious gems. In Thanjavur paintings, one can see the influence of Deccani, Vijayanagar, Maratha, and even European or Company styles of painting. The subjects of these paintings are Hindu gods, goddesses, and saints.
To make this traditional style of painting popular across the globe, The Circle community conducted a workshop on Tanjore Painting with expert artist Dr. Shivaji.
About The Artist
Dr. Shivaji Santosh is an art saint and has his own YouTube channel and Instagram page where he regularly talks and posts about art.
The Workshop Began
The workshop began with a brief introduction of Dr. Shivaji and his journey as an artist. Shivaji greeted all the participants and thanked the host for the introduction. He started the session with a brief introduction of the art form and explained the detailed method of creating a Tanjore Painting. He explained the bordering technique with a sample Tanjore painting and instructed on how regular practice is essential for this art form. He also answered the queries of all the participants regularly and motivated them to create with him.
Towards The End Of The Workshop
Shivaji explained the various types of art and the significance of art forms such as Tanjore, Mithila, etc. The session was informative as all the attendees were attentive during the session. The host thanked Dr. Shivaji for sharing his profound knowledge of Tanjore painting.
The attendees were from different parts of the country. They also belonged to different age groups but their love for art brought them together on a single platform. The Circle Community, as always, was successful in connecting artists and curating a magical and positive vibe together.
On this note, here’s us signing off until next time!
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