Poet, philosopher, novelist, essayist, playwright, musician, painter, educationist, Rabindranath Tagore shaped - and continues to shape - so many aspects of our lives even now. How does one even begin to do justice to his mind-boggling creative diversity in a few objects? The VMH presents a random selection from its collection to pay a tiny tribute to a towering humanist and creative genius.
"Poet's (Rabindranath Tagore) first flight from London to Paris" (1921) by Gaganendranath TagoreVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
Tagore first went to England at the age of 17, and joined Brighton School, then the University College, London where he studied English Literature under Professor Henry Morley. His literary talents found free expression in poems, one of the earliest of which was in print in 1874.
A humorous representation done in brush and ink by Gaganendranath, shows the poet deep in thought while on a flight in Europe, with his books, glasses, and pen strewn around amidst the clouds.
Rabindranath Tagore (1944-05) by Atul BoseVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
Though absorbed in literary pursuits, Tagore took active interest in social, educational and political problems.
This study of Tagore that brings out the depths of expressions in the poet's face was made by Atul Bose, one of Bengal's leading artists. It uses Conté crayon – a hard pencil made of a mixture of graphite and clay.
Photographic portrait of Rabindranath TagoreVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
In 1905, Tagore vehemently opposed Lord Curzon’s Partition of Bengal, and wrote many songs to unite the Bengali population – including ‘Banglar Mati Banglar Jol’ (‘Soil of Bengal, Water of Bengal’) and 'O amar desher mati tomar paaye thekai matha' ('O my motherland! I bow to thee'). He initiated the 'Rakhi Utsav', where he celebrated togetherness by bringing people from Hindu and Muslim communities to tie on each other's wrists threads of varying colours.
This portrait shows Tagore in his study at Santiniketan, with an artwork similar to Nandalal Bose's famous painting of Shiva and Savitri in the background.
Rabindranath Tagore with his family membersVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
Here, Tagore is seen with his wife, Mrinalini Devi, his children, and his eldest brother's grandson, Dinendranath Tagore.
In 1911, Tagore composed the song ‘Jana-gana-mana-adhināẏaka jaẏa hē Bhārata-bhāgya-vidhātā,’ which was adopted as India’s National Anthem in 1950.
Interestingly, one of the many songs he composed during the Swadeshi movement against the Partition of Bengal in 1905 – 'Amar shonar Bangla, ami tomay bhalobashi' ('My golden Bengal, I love thee') – was later adopted as the National Anthem of Bangladesh.
Dinendranath Tagore, who wrote up notations for many of the tunes that came spontaneously to Tagore, and was described by the poet as ‘the storehouse of all of my songs,’ also wrote down the score of ‘Jana-gana-mana-adhināẏaka jaẏa hē Bhārata-bhāgya-vidhātā.’
Rabindranath Tagore in Santiniketan by Rabindranath TagoreVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
After becoming the first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, Rabindranath Tagore was awarded a knighthood by the British in 1915. But he repudiated it in 1919 as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of April that same year, after writing an anguished letter to the then Viceroy, Lord Chelmsford.
Tagore’s rejection of the mechanical rote learning of colonialism, and his idea of a holistic education, in harmony with nature and founded on the notion of self-reliance, found expression in the institution he founded in Santiniketan with his Nobel Prize money, which grew into Visva Bharati University.
Tagore is seen in this photograph with students and faculty members accompanying him. The university still carries the imprint of that unique and broad Tagorean vision.
Gandhiji and Rabindranath Tagore at Santiniketan, 23 April 1940 (1940-04-23)Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
Rabindranath Tagore was against ‘hypernationalism’ or any parochial and chauvinistic expression of nationalism, because such expressions in his view bred pettiness and insularity and conflicted with a broadness of mind and spirit that he considered essential. Yet, his contributions to India’s nationalist thought were many.
In 1915, Tagore welcomed Mahatma Gandhi to his Ashram at Santiniketan and the friendship that sprang up between the two lasted till their lives.
This rare photograph, signed by Tagore, shows him with Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi in Santiniketan in April 1940, when, despite his failing health, he invited Gandhi to visit Santiniketan.
A selection of words
Victoria Memorial Hall has a few of his handwritten verses, and some letters.
'Geetāshtak' ('Eight songs') by Rabindranath Tagore was written in Nuremberg and Munich on 18-19 September 1926, during his trip to Germany.
Most of these were originally written as poems, and were subsequently set to music.
Among these there is a little gem – the original version of the poem 'Amar mukti ganer sure ei akashe' [‘My liberation is in the tunes of songs, within this sky’], written in Nuremberg on 19 September 1926, which Tagore later changed to 'Amar mukti aloy aloy ei akashe' [‘My liberation is among the light, within this sky’ – translation courtesy Amit Chaudhuri, 'Clearing a Space'].
It may be noted that the piece on the left side of the same page – 'Nai nai bhoy, hobey hobey joy' [‘Fear not, victory will come’] – had no change in its lyrics subsequently.
Manuscript of a poem by Rabindranath TagoreVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
This manuscript of a Bengali poem by Tagore, depicts a conversation between a mountain stream and a sprawling lake into which it flows.
Letter written by Rabindranath Tagore to Dilip Kumar RayVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
Tagore's letter of 1924 to Dilip Kumar Roy, the eminent Bengali musician, musicologist, novelist, poet and essayist. Tagore and Roy exchanged many letters, many of them on music and literature.
Letter written in the form of a poem by Rabindranath Tagore to Dilip Kumar RayVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
Another letter by Tagore to Dilip Kumar Roy – written in verse in a humorous style on 18 January 1928 – saying how much the poet misses his company.
A selection of portraits
Rabindranath Tagore's portrait was painted by a broad range of artists. This rare portrait of him is by the artstist Jamini Roy, using tempera on board. The artist's typical 'pat' style is not evident here.
Portrait of Rabindranath Tagore by Pratima TagoreVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
A rare portrait by his daughter-in-law, Pratima Devi (Tagore), sketched on board by Conté pencil, which uses a combination of compressed powdered graphite or charcoal and a wax or clay base.
Portrait of Rabindranath Tagore by Abanindranath TagoreVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
Even his nephews captured his portraits. Abanindranath Tagore's brush-and-ink portrait of Tagore was done in 1915.
Mask: Rabindranath Tagore (1929) by Abanindranath TagoreVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
A mask designed for Rabindranath Tagore by Abanindranath Tagore, for performance as a blind sage.
Rabindranath in the role of blind singer by Abanindranath TagoreVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
Perhaps one of the most iconic representations of Tagore as a performer was this one, among Abanindranath's several water colour portrayals of him as a blind singer.
Rabindranath in the role of blind singer (1916) by Abanindranath TagoreVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
Another Abanindranath Tagore interpretation of Tagore performing as a blind singer.
Rabindranath in the role of ‘blind singer’ (1916) by Abanindranath TagoreVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
And yet another masterly interpretation of Tagore as a blind singer, in Abanindranath Tagore's ethereal tones.
Rabindranath in the role of Kavishekhar (1916) by Abanindranath TagoreVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
Abanindranath's water colour portrayal of Rabindranath Tagore performing in the role of Kavisekhar.
Rabindranath Tagore in the role of Vikram in his own play ‘Tapati' (1929/1929) by Abanindranath TagoreVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
From Abanindranath Tagore's mask series - Rabindranath Tagore in the role of Vikram in his own play 'Tapati'.
Portrait of Rabindranath Tagore (circa 1913) by Gaganendranath TagoreVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
Gaganendranath Tagore's small and delicate, undated profile portrait in water colour probably shows Tagore in his forties.
Plan of a stage, probably Rabindranath's play, Dakghar by Gaganendranath TagoreVictoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
Gaganendranath Tagore's design of a stage for Tagore's play 'Dakghar' (The Post Office).
Text and curation: Dr. Jayanta Sengupta, Secretary and Curator, Victoria Memorial Hall
