7 Steps to the Art of Tanjore Painting

Tanjore painting or Tanjavur painting is a form of art developed in the southern part of India at a place called Tanjavur and dates back to the ninth century AD. Painting of gods and humans on the walls of temples as murals turned over a period of time to painting on boards using precious stones, gold foil, and rich natural colours. This form of painting is painstaking and difficult, practised by very few artisans. There are no written guidelines for learning. The skill was passed on from artisan to artisan over generations. The author, an engineer by profession, learnt this fine art from a trained teacher. The author felt that written instructions with sketches will help many more to understand and learn. He has ventured to put into words his knowledge on the subject through this book. As no formal book of learning on this art exists, the author feels that the book with the paintings will help many more to appreciate and learn this fine age-old art. The paintings in the book were created by the author over a period of time for his own library and will last several generations if properly maintained.