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Arts - Sculpture, Painting, Oratory, Cinema
Comprehensive information about Tamil Nadu sculpture, painting, oratory and cinema arts - Guide for TNPSC exams
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Tamil Nadu Sculpture
🗿 What is sculpture?
Sculpture is the art of creating shapes in materials such as stone, metal, wood, and clay. Sculpture in Tamil Nadu is 2000+ years old. There are amazing sculptures in temples, caves and rocks. Sculpture peaked during the Chola, Pallavar and Pandyan periods.
🎨 Types of sculpture
🪨 Stone Sculpture
- Meaning:Blackstone, Limestone, Sandstone
- Location:Temples, caves
- Eg:Mamallapuram sculptures
🔔 Bronze Sculpture
- Meaning:Copper + Silver
- Duration:Chola period is famous
- Eg:Nataraja, Sivagami
🪵 Wood Sculpture
- Meaning:Teak, Sandalwood, Neem
- Location:Temple Chariots, Doors
- Eg:Madurai Chariot Sculptures
🏺 Stucco Sculpture
- Meaning:A mixture of lime + sand
- Location:Towers
- Eg:Towers of the Nayak period
🏛️ Major sculpture sites
| Place | Period | Special sculpture | UNESCO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mamallapuram | Pallavar | Five chariots, Arjuna penance | ✅ 1984 |
| Thanjavur | Chola | Great Nandi, Nataraja | ✅ 1987 |
| Kanchipuram | Pallavar | Kailasanathar sculptures | - |
| Madurai | hero | Thousand Hall | - |
| Trichy | Chola/Nayakar | Srirangam Gopura Sculptures | - |
🕺 Nataraja sculpture - world famous
The pinnacle of Chola bronze sculpture
- Duration:10th-11th century (Chola period)
- Meaning:Bronze (copper + silver)
- Height:2-4 feet (various sizes)
- Location:Thanjavur, Chidambaram
- Specialty:One of the best sculptures in the world
Meanings of Nataraja Sculpture:
- Right upper arm:Dress - creative
- Left Upper Arm:Fire - Destruction
- Right lower arm:Abhaya Mudra - Fearlessness
- Left lower arm:Elephant Hymn Seal - Moksha
- Raised leg:liberation
- Pedaling Foot:Ignorance (Rabbit)
- Ring of Fire:universe
🧘 Arjuna Tapasu - Mamallapuram
World's largest rock sculpture
- Size:96 feet x 43 feet
- Duration:Pallavar - Narasimhavarman I (7th century)
- Location:Mamallapuram
- Contents:100+ figures, animals, deities
- Specialty:Descent of the Ganges / Penance of Arjuna
- UNESCO:World Heritage (1984)
📋 Sculpture - Quick Summary
| Period | Dynasty | Special | Place |
| 7th century | Pallavar | Rock sculpture, cave | Mamallapuram |
| 10-11 A.D. | Chola | Bronze, Nataraja | Thanjavur |
| 16-17 AD. | hero | Tower sculpture | Madurai |
🎯 TNPSC Memo: Pallavar-Kal | Chola-Bronze | Nayakar-Sudhai
Painting art of Tamil Nadu
🎨 What is painting?
Painting is the art of creating images through colors, lines and shapes. Painting in Tamil Nadu is 2000+ years old. Tamil painting has developed in various forms like cave paintings, temple wall paintings, Thanjavur paintings.
🖼️ Types of painting
🏔️ Cave Paintings
- Duration:Since the Sangam period
- Places:Siddhannavasal, Thirumayam
- Meaning:Natural colors
- Theme:Jainism, Nature
🏛️ Mural Paintings
- Duration:Pallavar, Chola, Nayak
- Places:Temple walls
- Meaning:Lime + natural color
- Theme:Mythology, Gods
🎭 Tanjore Painting
- Duration:Since the 16th century
- Specialty:Gold plate, Navaratnams
- Theme:Krishna is a Hindu deity
- GI Tag:✅ There is
📜 Modern Painting
- Duration:20th century
- Artists:Raja Ravi Varma Influence
- Specialty:Oil color, water color
- Theme:Society, Nature, Culture
🏔️ Siddhannavasal Cave Paintings
Ajanta of Tamil Nadu
- Location:Pudukottai District
- Duration:7th-9th century (Pandya period)
- Religion:Jainism
- Meaning:Natural colors (vegetable, mineral)
- Featured Painting:Lotus pond, elephants, fishes
- Technology:Wet Lime Method (Fresco)
Main paintings:
- Ariwar Pond:Lotus flowers, animals, humans
- No Dance:Dancing girl
- Jain sages:In penance
- Animal Drawings:Elephant, cow, fish
✨ Thanjavur painting
World famous Tamil Nadu painting style
History:
- 16th century origin
- Development of the Nayak period
- The Maratha period was the peak
- Supported by Saraboji II
Features:
- Application of Gold Plate
- Navaratna stones
- 3D rise appearance
- Bright colors
Preparation method:
- Foundation:A mixture of wood board + cloth + lime
- Drawing:Shape in black lines
- Gold:Gold plate on forehead, clothes, ornaments
- Stones:Navaratnams at important places
- Color:Coloring with natural colors
🎯 GI Tag:Geographical Indication Recognized - Belongs to Thanjavur district
🏛️ Chola period wall paintings
Great Temple Paintings - Thanjavur
- Duration:11th century (Rajarajan I)
- Location:Inner walls of Prahadeeswarar temple
- Theme:Lord Shiva, Nataraja, Devi
- Technology:Fresco method
- Colors:Red, Yellow, Green, Blue
- Discovery:1931 - Below the paintings of the Nayak period
Main paintings:
- Nataraja:In the swing position
- Sivakami:Consort of Nataraja
- Rajarajan:A scene of offering obeisance to the Guru
- Burning Tripuram:The story of Lord Shiva
👨🎨 Modern Tamil painters
| Painter | Period | Special | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| KCS Worker | 1911-1977 | Tantric art, modern | Padma Bhushan |
| A. Ramachandran | 1935- | Rural life | Padma Bhushan |
| SG Vasudev | 1941- | Realism | Padma Bhushan |
| J. Sultan Ali | 1920-1998 | Color technology | Kalaimamani |
📋 Painting - Quick Summary
| Type | Place | Period | Special |
| Cave painting | Siddhannavasal | 7-9 A.D. | Jaina, Fresco |
| Wall painting | Thanjavur Temple | 11th century | Chola, Nataraja |
| Thanjavur painting | Thanjavur | 16th century+ | Gold, GI Tag |
🎯 TNPSC Memorial: Siddan-Jain | Tanjore-Cholar | Golden-hero
Tamil Elocution
🎤 What is rhetoric?
Oratory is the art of effectively expressing ideas through words. Speaking in Tamil Nadu reached its peak in the 20th century in the form of stage speech. Dravidian movement, freedom struggle etc. developed the art of rhetoric.
🗣️ Types of speech
📢 Political speech
- Purpose:Integrating people
- Location:Public meetings, platforms
- Example:Anna, Artist, Mgr
📚 Literary speech
- Purpose:Interpretation of literature
- Location:Meetings, halls
- Example:K.V.J., Suki.Sivam
🛕 Religious / spiritual talk
- Purpose:Propagation of religious thought
- Location:Temples, monasteries
- Example:Kanchi is great, Kripanandavari
😂 Funny talk
- Purpose:Entertainment, criticism
- Location:Stages, shows
- Example:Poet Vairamuthu, poet Meeran
🌟 Renowned Speakers
| Speaker | Period | Type | Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professor Anna | 1909-1969 | Politics | A great orator of Tamil |
| Artist Karunanidhi | 1924-2018 | Politics | Style of verse, metaphor |
| Kripanandavariyar | 1906-1993 | spirituality | Description of Bhakti literature |
| K.W. Jagannathan | 1906-1988 | Literature | Literary description |
| Suki. Shiva | 1959- | Literature/Spirituality | Modern platform speech |
| Solomon Papaya | 1946- | Literature | Explanation of Thirukkural |
🎭 Philosopher Anna - The pinnacle of stage speaking
A great orator of Tamil
- Name:C.N. Annathurai (1909-1969)
- Degree:Great Scholar
- Specialty:Essay Style + Humor + Metaphor
- Style:Simplicity, honesty, humor
- Language:Mixture of Senthamil + spoken Tamil
Famous Phrases:
- "Tamils are a race, they have their own character"
- "Remember to forget"
- "Crow sparrow is our species"
- "Vocabulary and Meaningful"
💡 Aspects of Rhetoric
📝 Content
- Clear concept
- Sources
- examples
- Conclusion
🗣️ Delivery
- Voice fluctuations
- Speed control
- Body language
- eye contact
🎭 Techniques
- Metaphor
- Parable
- Comedy
- question pattern
🏆 Contribution of rhetoric
- Freedom Struggle:Made people aware
- Dravidian Movement:Social reform spread
- Development of Tamil:Rich Tamil speech
- Education:Knowledge dissemination
- Spirituality:Bhakti literature description
- Media:Television shows
📋 Rhetoric - Quick Summary
| Type | Keynote speaker | Special |
| Politics | Anna, artist | Dravidian Movement |
| spirituality | Kripanandavariyar | Devotional literature |
| Literature | K.V.J., Suki.Sivam | Literary description |
| Thirukkural | Solomon Papaya | Short description |
🎯 TNPSC Memo: Anna-Politics | Krupa-Spirituality | G.Va.J-Literature
Tamil Cinema & Memoirs
🎬 History of Tamil Cinema
The Tamil film industry started in 1931 and has grown into the leading film industry in the world today. The first Tamil talking film was "Kalithas" (1931). Tamil cinema reflects art, culture and society.
1931
First picture
First picture
93+
Annual history
Annual history
200+
of images/year
of images/year
🌟 Pioneers of Tamil cinema
| Name | Period | Contribution | Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.M. Ready | 1931 | Director | "Kalidas" - the first Tamil talking film |
| SS Vasan | 1903-1969 | Producer | Founder of Gemini Studio |
| A.V. Meiyappa Chettiar | 1907-1979 | Producer | AVM Productions |
| M.G. Ramachandran | 1917-1987 | actor | Actor Thilak, Chief Minister |
| Shivaji Ganesan | 1928-2001 | actor | Actor Thilak, Chevalier |
🎥 Famous directors
K. Balachander
- Duration:1930-2014
- Style:Story telling technique
- Pictures:Rare ragas, they are
- Award:Dada Saheb Phalke
Bharathiraja
- Duration:1941-
- Style:Rural life
- Pictures:First honor, East Sea
- Degree:Nature director
Mani Ratnam
- Duration:1956-
- Style:City life, love
- Pictures:Roja, Bombay, two
- Specialty:National award 4 times
Bala
- Duration:1965-
- Style:Realistic cinema
- Pictures:Sethupathi, Nanda, Pitamagan
- Specialty:National award 3 times
🎵 Music composers
🎹
M.S. Viswanathan
King of melody
🎶
Ilayaraja
Musician
🎼
A.R. Rahman
Music Storm, Oscar Winner
🏆 Awards & Achievements
| Award | Tamil achievement |
|---|---|
| Oscar Award | A.R. Rahman (2009) - "Slumdog Millionaire" |
| Dada Saheb Phalke | Sivaji Ganesan, K. Balachander, Kamal Haasan |
| Padma Shri | MGR, Shivaji, Kamal, Rajini, Ilayaraja |
| Chevalier Award | Shivaji Ganesan (France) |
🎯 MASTER MEMORY SHORTCUTS - Four arts
C-o-pay-the (COPT)
CTrifle →ohवियम →BayChu →TheFilm
COPT = Cinema, Oratory, Painting, Temple sculpture
📝 Every art - quick memory
🗿 Sculpture
- Pal-so-pan:Pallavar, Chola, Pandyar
- Mamallapuram:Pallavar (Rock-cut)
- Nataraja:Chola (Bronze)
- Meenakshi:Pandyar (Tower)
🎨 Painting
- T-Q-W:Thanjavur, Kannagi, Warli
- Thanjavur:Gold plate
- Siddhannavasal:Jain painting
- Ajanta:Cave painting
🎤 Rhetoric
- A-ki-ki-vaj:Anna, Krupa, G.W.J
- Anna:Political speech
- Grace:Spiritual discourse
- Suki.Shivam:Literary speech
🎬 Cinematography
- 1931:Kalidas - First movie
- M-S-K:MGR, Shivaji, Kamal
- K-B-M:K. Balachander, Bharathiraja, Mani Ratnam
- Rahman:Oscar Award 2009
📚 TNPSC Exam Notes
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q:The first Tamil talking film?
A:Kalidas (1931)
A:Kalidas (1931)
Q:Nataraja Sculpture - Which Period?
A:Chola period
A:Chola period
Q:Thanjavur Painting - Special?
A:Gold plate engraving
A:Gold plate engraving
Q:Doctorate - For Whom?
A:bro
A:bro
Q:Oscar-winning composer?
A:A.R. Rahman (2009)
A:A.R. Rahman (2009)
Q:Siddhannavasal - Which painting?
A:Jain painting
A:Jain painting
📋 Four Arts - 1 minute summary
| Art | Period/Genre | Key person/place | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🗿 Sculpture | Pallavar/Cholar/Pandyar | Mamallapuram, Nataraja | Pal-so-pan |
| 🎨 Painting | Thanjavur, Cave | Siddhannavasal, Ajanta | The-C-A |
| 🎤 Speech | Politics/Spirituality/Literature | Anna, please | A-Ki-Ki-Wa.J |
| 🎬 Cinema | 1931 - to date | MGR, Shivaji, Rahman | 1931-M-S-R |
🏆 ULTIMATE MASTER SHORTCUT
C-o-be-the + pulsopan + ta-c-a + a-ki-kiwaj + 1931
4 Arts = Sculpture (3 Dynasties) + Painting (3 Genres) + Speech (3 Orators) + Cinema (1931)
✅ Answer all questions related to arts in TNPSC exam with these shortcuts!