Thanjavur style of painting belongs to the
Thanjavur District of
Tamil Nadu. This style developed during the 18th century under the influence of artists who migrated from various parts of India to Thanjavur. The style was also influenced by European and Chinese styles of painting.
Thanjavur paintings are characterised by its bright colour scheme, decorative jewellery with stones and cut-glasses and its larger-than-life figures. The themes are based on gods, Lord Krishna being the most prominent. Present-day artists also include other themes such as birds, animals, buildings and other structures.
The colours used for Thanjavur paintings are prepared with indigenous natural materials. The paintings also include pieces of semi-precious and precious stones, cut-glass and other objects for the ornaments of the figures. Gold and Silver leaves are used to colour the costumes, jewelry and other decorative areas. Bright luminous colours are favored since these paintings were originally meant to be kept in poorly lit rooms and places of worship. Thanjavur style paintings are drawn on paper, cloth and sometimes on glass.
