Tanjore paintings are one of India's greatest traditional art forms. The common theme running through these paintings is mythology. These religious paintings demonstrate that spirituality is the essence of creative work. These paintings merge religious and a very rich tradition of art to achieve a point of almost divine perfection.

Tanjore style paintings communicate rituals with a mass appeal. The subjects chosen are usually illustrations of scenes from the Ramayana & Bhagavatha Purana. The portrayal of the figures in the paintings are breathtakingly brilliant.

Almost all the figures have rounded bodies and almond-shaped eyes. The traditional Tanjore Artists have a flair for ornamenting the figures with jewellery and ornate dresses. The early paintings were embedded with real diamonds, rubies and other precious stones. Now-a-days, the artists use Jaipur stones (semi-precious and artificial stones) to embellish the paintings.

The early paintings were rendered with vegetable dyes for colors and shades. The present-day artists use chemical paints which enhance the sharpness and provide better shade contrasts.