One and only, Tagore

Art World Kinjal Trivedi One and only, Tagore So far we have talked about ‘western art history’ and all the creativity that was evolved in the ‘western world’. Here in India we have had some immense creativity that have been passed down the generations that indirectly influenced us and our culture. Let us talk about a few Indian artists who have influenced us and made India what it is at present. Today we will talk about Rabindranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore was one of the greatest influencers. He was a polymath, poet, musician and artist from West Bengal. He was a creative child, and kept wondering about the beautiful world we live in. As a kid, he kept on observing in great detail the depth of emotions in things and people. Tagore's poetic songs were viewed as spiritual and mercurial. He modernised Bengali art by spurning rigid classical forms and resisting linguistic structures. His novels, stories, songs, dance-dramas, and essays spoke to topics, from political and personal. Gitanjali, Gora and Ghare Baire are his best-known works, and his verse, short stories, and novels were acclaimed—or panned—for their lyricism, colloquialism, naturalism, and unnatural contemplation. His compositions were chosen by two countries as national anthems: India's Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh’s Amar Shona Bangla. The Sri Lankan National Anthem was inspired by his work. In November 1913, Tagore was honoured with the Nobel Prize in Literature. He was awarded a knighthood by King George V in 1915, but Tagore renounced it after the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. I’ve seen many of his art works. Some of his sketches in particular were mere brush strokes of the landscape or the villages he lived in. The sense of perspective and the command of the brush was incredible! Each sketch brings out the longing, mystery and the essence of simplicity of the world that he lived in. Every Bengali household still resonates with Robindro sangeet. Tagore’s collection of poems Gitanjali Tagore’s university Santiniketan