Mysore Painting – The Concept & History
Glancing through the pages of traditional Indian Art forms, one can never miss the ancient, yet the most distinctive art form – Mysore Paintings. Considered as one of the non-exhaustive resources in the art world, Mysore Painting belongs to the Mysore city of the Karnataka state of South India. It developed under the patronage of Wodeyars (1399-1947), especially Raja Wodeyar (1578-1617), in the 17th and 18th century. Where once the art genre reached the zenith of glory in the times of Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wodeyar III (1799-1868), it even once faced the phase of probable extinction. The later years of the 18th century however, saw the renaissance of Mysore Art from ashes to its due mighty place.
The Details
Intricately classic, Mysore Paintings are full of mesmerizing grace and beauty. More or less similar to the Tanjore style of painting, Mysore Art makes a distinguishing use of thinner 24k gold leaves, which when combined with time-consuming, perseverant, & skillful hard work, enhances the beauty of the painting. Thin, delicate contours and entangled brush strokes are the key features of this art form.
At first, a primary sketch is created on the base, made from the cartridge paper, pasted on a wooden base. The embellishment in the preliminary sketch is then given a raised look with the help of Gesso Paste (made from the mixture of Zinc Oxide and Arabic Gum). Upon drying, these raised areas are done in 24K gold foil, while the rest of the painting goes in subdued watercolor. The final touches in Mysore Paintings include the rubbing of a thin paper placed over the painting, with a soft stone, in order to enhance the opulence and the magnetism of the paintings.
The paintings are themed mostly on Hindu God, Goddesses, and the pictorial references of the scenes from the great epics of Mahabharata, Ramayana, Bhagavta Purana, and Jain epics. The antiquated paintings can still be seen on the ancient temples and palaces of Karnataka. The most interesting aspect about the most of ancient Indian Art is that the artists themselves prepares the resources, including brushes, canvass, paints, or any other required raw material, gold foil here. Today however, artists get everything readymade. They just focus on artistry.
The Artworks
Jagan Mohan Palace in Mysore still carries the stunning Mysore Paintings on its walls.
Conclusion
Until date, the art lovers from all over the world are attracted to the antediluvian Mysore Art. Its powerful charisma continues to stamp the glorious existence of Indian Art. Today, RAASI (Rejuvenating Ancient Art of South India) Art Foundation at Chennai is dedicatedly involved with preserving and evolving all the key South Indian Visual Art forms, including Mysore Painting.
Near-Eastern Painting - Mysore Painting - Uncovering the Traditional South Indian Art Form
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