Art History Textbooks Boundless Art History South and Southeast Asia After 1200 CE The Nayak Dynasty
Art History Textbooks Boundless Art History South and Southeast Asia After 1200 CE
Art History Textbooks Boundless Art History
Art History Textbooks
Art History
Concept Version 3
Created by Boundless

Nayak Painting

In addition to its architecture, the Nayak Dynasty in South India was renowned for the development of Tanjore painting.

Learning Objective

  • Discuss painting of the Nayak Dynasty

Key Points

    • The Nayak Dynasty is known not only for its unique style of architecture, but also for its mural and wall paintings. 
    • The style of Thanjavur painting originated under the Nayaks of Thanjavur around 1600 CE, and one can see the influence of Deccani, Vijayanagar, Maratha, and even European or Company styles of painting. 
    • Renowned for their surface richness, vivid colors, compact composition, glittering gold foils overlaid on delicate but extensive gesso work, and inlay of glass beads or semi-precious gems, these paintings serve primarily as devotional icons. 
    • The subjects of most paintings are Hindu gods, goddesses, and saints; there are also many instances when Jain, Sikh, Muslim, other religious and even secular subjects were depicted in Thanjavur paintings.
    • Artists under Nayak rule also painted murals and frescoes on the walls of temples and other buildings, mostly featuring religious subjects or images of royal power.
    • The Nayaks issued coins made of gold and copper that featured figures of the king, animals, and Hindu gods and goddesses such as Shiva and Parvati. 

Terms

  • Thanjavur

    A city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu and an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture; known for its particular style of painting that emerged under the Nayak Dynasty in 1600 CE.

  • Puranas

    A vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly myths, legends, and other traditional lore.

Full Text

Thanjavur Painting 

Ruling from the 16th through 18th centuries in South India, the Nayak Empire was noted for its administrative reforms, its artistic and cultural achievements, and the creation of a unique style of temple architecture. In addition, Thanjavur painting, a famous South Indian school of classical painting, emerged under the Nayaks.

Characteristics

Thanjavur painting originated under the Nayaks of Thanjavur (anglicized as Tanjore) around 1600 CE, and one can see the influence of Deccani, Vijayanagar, Maratha, and even European or Company styles of painting. Renowned for their surface richness, vivid colors, compact composition, glittering gold foils overlaid on delicate but extensive gesso work, and inlay of glass beads or semi-precious gems, these paintings serve primarily as devotional icons. The subjects of most paintings are Hindu gods, goddesses, and saints.

Episodes from Hindu Puranas, Sthala-puranas, and other religious texts were visualized and painted with the main figure or figures placed in the central section of the picture, surrounded by several subsidiary figures, themes, and subjects. The figures are static and often located inside decorated arches or curtains. Eyes are broad and the outer lines are either brown or red, except for the god Krishna's eyes, which are depicted in blue. There are also many instances when Jain, Sikh, Muslim, other religious and even secular subjects were depicted in Thanjavur paintings.

Thanjavur Painting

A Thanjavur painting of Krishna and Rukmani.

Process

Thanjavur panel paintings were usually done on solid wooden planks. The artist began by making a preliminary sketch of the image on a base of cloth pasted onto the wood and applying a mixture of zinc oxide and adhesive to the base. After the drawing was completed, the jewelry and apparel on the image were decorated with semi-precious stones, lace, or thread. They applied a mixture of chalk powder and African gum for an embossed look, and the painting was covered with gold foil and finished with dyes to color the figures. Artists under Nayak rule also painted murals and frescoes on the walls of temples and other buildings, mostly featuring religious subjects or images of royal power.

The Nayaka Murals

These murals illustrate images of Nayak Kings and Queens at Srirangam Temple, with inscriptions in the Kannada language.

Coins

The Nayaks issued coins made of gold and copper that featured figures of the king, animals, and Hindu gods and goddesses such as Shiva and Parvati. Both real and mythical, depictions of animals included bears, elephants, lions, and fish (the emblem of the Pandyas who had ruled Madurai before the Vijayanagar and Nayak rulers). The coins also carry inscriptions in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Nagari scripts.

[ edit ]
Edit this content
Prev Concept
Nayak Architecture
Architecture of the Mughal Period
Next Concept