Karnataka - Mysore   

Delving into artistic wonders

PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

Mentoring: Umadevi, principal of the Ravi Varma Art School, training artists at a workshop in Mysore on Monday. —

MYSORE: A workshop on traditional paintings of Mysore is under way at the Ravi Varma Art School near Ballal Circle here.

Over 20 artists are giving final touches to the portraits of deities such as Krishna, Lakshmi and Ganapathi. Principal of the school Umadevi is guiding them in the art, which is said to be losing its finesse owing to the commercialisation of art.

Mysore traditional painting is a unique style, which is over 500 years old. It is said to have originated in AD 1525 during the reign of Mummudi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. After his death, the art started receding into oblivion.

But recently, it has been revived owing to the efforts of a few veteran artists of the Mysore traditional school. “The workshop is one of the attempts at reviving the dying art,” says Umadevi.

“The painting procedure comprises the basic “gesso” work and the use of traditional colours. Real gold foil is used for embellishments, which give the paintings a golden touch. The paintings are executed according to strict details from the scriptures.

They are characterised by the intricate use of colours and fine relief work making it a prized possession.

The most popular themes of this school of painting are the traditional deities of the Hindu pantheon, including the famous goddess of Mysore, Chamundeshwari,” she says.

On how different Mysore traditional paintings are from those of the Tanjore school, she says both are similar to some extent because they are offshoots of the Vijayanagar school of painting (AD 1336 to 1665). But they are different in terms of execution and technique.

While the Tanjore works are bolder and more opulent, the Mysore school is subtle and uses thinner leaves.

The Mysore paintings are usually works on paper with gesso, while the Tanjore ones use fabric pasted on boards as the base.

The Ravi Varma Art School, which was founded in 1995, will conduct workshops on various forms of art every year, with this year’s emphasis being on Mysore traditional paintings.

“This is not the first time the school is conducting a workshop on Mysore traditional paintings. A workshop on Tanjore and Mysore styles of painting was conducted in 2006-07, and an exhibition of works produced in the programme was held in Bidadi Hall of the Mysore Palace.

The exhibition received a wonderful response. The present workshop will end on December 12, and an exhibition of works produced has been arranged at Suchitra Art Gallery in Kalamandira from December 15,” Ms. Umadevi said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Delving into artistic wonders
Will stupa be inaugurated?
Call to review evaluation process
Water supply services will not be privatised: Mayor
BSNL executives stage dharna
Rs. 17.6 lakh stolen

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu