The art form draws its immediate resources and inspiration from way back about 1600 AD, a period when the Nayakas of Thanjavur under the suzerainty of the Vijayanagara Rayas encouraged art—chiefly, classical dance and music—as well as literature, both in Telugu and Tamil and painting of chiefly Hindu religious subjects in temples.

[2] Thanjavur paintings are characterised by rich and vivid colours, simple iconic composition, glittering gold foils overlaid on delicate but extensive gesso work and inlay of glass beads and pieces or very rarely precious and semi-precious gems.

The artists absorbed the local influences and the individual tastes of their Maratha patrons which helped evolve the unique Thanjavur style of painting.

The Vijayanagara empire, founded by Harihara and Bukka, was for long a bulwark against the rapidly advancing Islamic influence from the nearby Deccan and the farther North.

While the foreign influences did gradually percolate into the Peninsular South, the Vijayanagara empire ensured that the older Hindu artistic traditions were protected and preserved.

In 1521–22, Krishnadevaraya travelled to the Tamil country (Tamilagam) visiting holy places and as was his wont, made munificent donations to temples and other religious establishments.

The third important Nayaka state in Tamil country, Thanjavur, (Senji and Madurai being the others) had been established under the reign of Krishnadevaraya's half-brother and successor Achyutaraya (1529–42).

It was during Achyutappa's reign that the Vijayanagara empire fell, leading to the exodus of numerous litterateurs, philosophers, musicians and artists who migrated to several other neighbouring kingdoms like Mysore and Thanjavur.

Due to internal dissensions in the Nayaka line, Ekoji otherwise called Venkoji (1676–83), half-brother of Chatrapati Shivaji marched into Thanjavur on behalf of the Adil Shah of Bijapur under whom he was a General.

Despite intermittent wars, when Thanjavur was overrun first by the Nawab of Arcot and later by Haidar Ali, Ekoji and his successors like Tulajaji, Serfoji II (Sarabhoji in Tamil) and others remained great patrons of the arts and artists.

By the time Serfoji II succeeded to the Maratha throne in Thanjavur, the Britishers had taken over the complete administration of the state, retaining the king in only a nominal capacity to exercise power over the fort and a smidgen of surrounding lands.

Serfoji II had to traverse a difficult path throughout his reign, being constantly challenged by Amarasimha who ran a parallel court in Thiruvidaimarudur even after his accession.

The Maratha rule came to a sad end after the death of its last ruler Shivaji II, (resembling only in name his vastly greater ancestor) who died without a male issue, when the Britishers obliged by annexing the Thanjavur state to its dominions under the notorious Doctrine of Lapse.

One of their monasteries in Koviloor has large Thanjavur paintings on the lives of the 63 Nayanmars (Saivaite saints) and the 64 miracles (Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam) of Lord Shiva minutely labelled in Tamil.

To quote Dallapiccola – "The works, executed on canvas pasted on a wooden support, were framed – a major departure from the pan-Indian tradition, in which paintings are of small size – and designed to be hung on the walls of domestic puja rooms or in bhajan halls.

The themes, as in painted albums, (made for European patrons) were usually gods and goddesses, holy places, religious personalities and occasionally portraits.

Their dazzling palette consisted generally of vivid reds, deep greens, chalk white, turquoise blues and the lavish use of gold (foil) and inset glass beads.

The paintings were done on the reverse surface of a glass sheet with strips of metal beaten into transparent gaps to simulate the effect of jewellery and precious stones.

Faint traces of Maratha style paintings inset with glass are found on the walls of the Thiruvaiyaru Chatram built by Serfoji after his pilgrimage to Kashi.

[6] Many other buildings in and around Thanjavur have fine examples of the paintings on the roofs and walls, though many are gradually disappearing and dying due to serious neglect and acts of vandalism.

[15] The British and Victoria & Albert museums in England also house a large collection of Thanjavur paintings in the company and traditional styles.

The artists turned out a wide repertoire of paintings on different subjects and of varied quality depending upon the patron's interest, urgency and most importantly influence and financial capacity.

However, the art was by and large a sacred task to be performed with a reasonable degree of ritual purity and humility by the master craftsmen, many of whom chose to remain anonymous and never signed their paintings, true to the Indian artistic tradition.

The Tanjore style of paintings spring from a late phase of South Indian classical art, when the society in which it originated was itself going through turbulent times.

Needless to say, Tanjore paintings are informed by a syncretic style, notable for its assimilation of the contemporary diverse cultural influences – Tamil, Telugu, Maratha, European, Deccani, Folk, etc.

Bal Krishna, Lord Rama, and other gods, goddesses, saints, and subjects from Hindu mythology are popular themes in Tanjore paintings.

The commonest examples were painted and gilded terracotta relief slabs of the deity, framed and packaged in neat wooden boxes which could be carried back as holy memorabilia and worshipped in the Puja room by the pilgrim-devotee.

Common subjects were Gods and Goddesses, episodes from Hindu mythology; Fairs, ceremonies, processions and festivals; Castes, their occupations and dresses; Indian Flora and Fauna, etc.

'Revival' programmes, Exhibitions,[24] Workshops and Training camps on Thanjavur paintings are being held regularly by many institutions including State Governments.

The Calendar prints of C. Kondiah Raju and his student followers, marked by an iconic solidness as against the western naturalism of Raja Ravi Varma, are examples of the continued influence of Tanjore paintings in modern, popular and academic art.