Mysore

Mysore painting developed under the patronage of the Wodeyar kings of the Mysore kingdom from the 14th century onwards. The tradition reached its peak during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III in the 19th century, when the royal court actively commissioned and patronised painting in the distinctive style that bears the city's name.

Like Tanjore, Mysore painting uses gesso relief and gold foil to create three-dimensional decorative effects. However, the Mysore style is characterised by a more restrained palette, more delicate linework, and a greater emphasis on naturalistic depiction of figures compared to Tanjore's bold, frontal compositions.

Today, Mysore painting is practised primarily in Mysore by artists trained in the tradition, many of them connected to the Government School of Art and Crafts which has maintained the tradition since colonial times. It received GI protection in 2011.

Mysore paintings are created on cloth pasted over a wooden board, prepared with a smooth gesso surface. Gold foil is applied using an adhesive medium, then burnished. The painting is completed with natural and synthetic pigments, with particular attention to the subtle gradation of flesh tones and the fineness of decorative detail.

The gesso work in Mysore painting tends to be more restrained than in Tanjore — used primarily for jewellery, architectural elements, and haloes rather than covering large areas. The overall impression is one of refined elegance rather than opulent richness.