Wat Suwannaram วัดสุวรรณาราม

Wat Suwannaram in Bangkok Noi District is of artistic and historical interest.

* The design and construction of Wat Suwannaram is of the Ayutthaya period before the destruction of Ayutthaya and all its buildings.
* It has undergone restoration twice, once under Rama 1 and again in the time of Rama V. It was originally a monastery called Wat Thong [ '' Golden Wat '' ], again later named Wat Suwannaram [ '' Golden Monastery '' ] by King Rama 1.

The Murals

* Inside on the walls is one of the finest remaining collections of Thai classic style murals. When looking at these murals one should understand the following about Thai Mural Style and Characteristics.
* Thai murals have the following characteristics. They contain many small, almost tiny individual scenes, landscapes and figures in contrast to the large wall space on which they are painted. The objects are stylized throughout Thailand and are two dimensional in form, that is there is no perspective of dimension as in European painting. There are also continuous and flowing sets of panoramas of places, palaces, towns, events and country landscapes with real and mythical people or creatures.
* However all panoramas whether painted above the head of the viewer, at the same level or nearer the floor, all are painted from a perspective that the viewer is high above, as if in the sky looking down or from a distance.
* The episodes of religous and every day life are reflections from different times but are depicted simultaneously separated by landscape or architecture like a zig zag design. The characters are stylized such that the celestial and or noble beings are always portrayed serene whilst those from the common folk are portrayed in ungainly or realistic or comic postures or movements.
* After the mid 19 C Western influences introduced the concepts of the use of perspective and shading to give the illusion of depth.

Historical events at Wat Suwannaram

* Historically is was, in the time of Taksin the Great, the execution place for Burmese prisoners of war.
* Until the period of the reign of King Rama V the grounds of Wat Suwannaram were also used as the Royal Cremation site for members of the Royal Family and top ranking officials of the Kingdom.

The Murals at Wat Suwannaram

* In the seven centuries of Thai Buddhist painting the Schools of style are, Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and the First and Second Periods of the Rattanakosin periods. The first period between 1761 to 1851 murals or wall paintings had two contrasring styles.
* The First style followed the traditions of Ayutthaya during the periods of Thonburi and later Rama 1. In this period compositions were ''airy'' and painted on light backgrounds.
* Later in Bangkok murals are depicted in dark colours and use gold leaf. Wat Suwannaram and Wat Rakhang, both at Thonburi exhibit the best surviving examples of this First Period of style in Thai mural painting. The original paintings were repainted in the time of Rama 111. As you will see the climate and humidity has a damaging impact on this form of art.
* Without dealing with all the detail a tourist should appreciate the following. Whilst there are changes in style of painting and of the features of persons depicted, artists conformed with tradition and in Ubosots and viharns in Bangkok and Thonburi there was a specific formula of what to portray, where and how. On the lateral walls in the spaces between the windows is protrayed the life of Buddha and the Dasa Jatakas [ Ten Great Jatakas ]. On the upper portion of these walls and above them are painted rows of celestial adorers arranged in four separate rows. On the west wall behind the principal image are represented the Three Worlds, and on the lower part of the wall hell is depicted, as is the lower of the Three Worlds. On the opposite wall facing the principal image [ statue of the Buddha ] the murals depict the victory of the Buddha over Mara. Of interest here are the characterisations of beings with western European features.