Regal Tanjore

This eponymous classical painting style that originated around 1600 AD, is probably the most famous of Thanjavur’s exports. The vibrantly colorful and rich Thanjavur or Tanjore painting style developed under the patronage of the Nayaks and later the Marathas.

Tanjore paintings typically have brilliant colors complemented by semiprecious stones and gold foil work. They are usually made on a canvas created on a wooden base, but they have also been made on walls, wooden panels, glass and even ivory.

The subject matter of Tanjore paintings is usually Hindu deities or scenes from the Puranas or other religious texts. The main figure(s) are usually framed by an arch or mandapam and are bigger than any secondary figures in the composition. Though flat and two-dimensional, the figures in Tanjore paintings are imbued with unparalleled charm and luminous beauty because of the cherubic round faces and large almond eyes of their subjects and their beautifully detailed clothing, jewellery, and architectural features.

We commission talented artists to recreate Tanjore painting classics and to innovate and create new versions of favourite themes and new compositions and themes too.  Displayed here are some commissions we’ve completed and some sketches that you can choose from to create a composition in your preferred color palette.