tour 1 of 8
The Art of Peace: Paintings by the poet Rabindranath Tagore
The Art of Peace: Paintings by the poet Rabindranath Tagore
'…our family
has
been a confluence
of
three cultures, Hindu, Mohammedan and
British.'
(Rabindranath
Tagore, Hibbert Lectures, Oxford,
1930)
Rabindranath Tagore
(1861-1941) is the most famous South Asian literary figure of the
twentieth century. He was a poet, writer, statesman, educator and
musician whose work and achievements earned him worldwide
respect.
Born in Bengal, in
eastern India, he was a strong supporter of Bengali unity and
opposed the region's division at the end of the British
Empire.
He was best known
as a composer and poet and was the first Asian to win the Nobel
Prize for literature. However, when already 60 years old, he began
to paint and created a body of work that made him one of South
Asia's great modern
painters.
This tour
explores Tagore's life and a selection of his artworks
following the exhibition The art of peace:
Paintings by the poet Tagore at the
British Museum (Room 3, 14 September to 3 December
2006).
The exhibition is
the first time a selection of works by Tagore from the British
Museum's collection has been on public display and is part
of the Museum's Voices of
Bengal season. Running until January 7
2007, the season aims to bring the rich cultural heritage of the
region to life through a range of displays and
events.
Illustration:
This signed photograph of Rabindranath Tagore was donated to the
British Museum by Professor Tony Stewart in 2003 and was probably
taken when he was in his seventies.