Of People and Places

An illustration of a Chola bronze sculpture in Royal Palace Museum, Thanjavur Tagging along in my usual half-dazed way, I woke up when I set my eyes on the voluptuous, stunning Chola Bronze sculptures in the Royal Palace museum in Thanjavur.  I simply had to sketch them - these absolutely exquisite representations of the grace of the human body. Made by highly skilled craftsmen enjoying the patronage of the Cholas, I understand much more about form and simplification as I draw. I also see how certain poses bring out the angles of the human body much more gracefully, how the fingers splayed out, extended can bring movement to inanimate bronze and make it live. How the hips and the shoulders align, how there is tension and relaxation and lines formed in the drapery and jewelry - all of it resting on a delicate balance to create an illusion of perfection. This particular bronze sculpture that I referenced for my ( vector) illustration was found in Thiruvengadu around 11- 12th centur...

Brihadisvara temple illustration, Thanjavur ( UNESCO World heritage site) In the Kaveri river valley, a powerful kingdom arose, known far and wide for its military prowess, feats of architecture, patronage to art, music and dance.  They spread out into Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Lakshadweep and even far out Bali and Sumatra across the Indian ocean. Their most illustrious emperor - Raja Raja Chola the great. The Cholas owed their glory to the gods and in honor of this, built several fantastic temples all over South India. The most magnificent of them all is in their former capital, Thanjavur - The Brihadeeswara temple, dedicated to Shiva.  Its massive gopuram is the cynosure of all eyes, visible from miles ahead.It is built entirely from granite and is well restored, thanks to a very good job of conservation by the ASI. It is still a place of worship, perhaps that is the reason it managed to survive intact.   The most popular icon in India...

Inside the Thanjavur Maratha Royal complex, in the Royal Palace museum, you will get to see graceful figures in Bronze.  The way they capture the beauty of the human figure with its contours and posture is a treat to see. All the bronze sculptures that are part of the collection have exquisite details.  I especially love the gestures of the hands, every finger elegantly poised, much like they do in stylized theatre or in Classical dance. This sculpture was found in Mayiladuthurai in Tamil nadu. It is named as Thirupurantagar, One of the many names of Lord Shiva. I was amazed to hear of how these sculptures were made. They went through an elaborate process where an intricate wax model was first carved, after which it was covered with clay to form a mould. This was then fired to harden it. The wax melted in the heat leaving only the baked clay intact. The bronze was then melted and poured into this mould. Once it had hardened, the outer clay shell would be shattered. On...