Osian's Auction Catalogue Creative India Series 1 Bengal | December 2011

R abindRanath t agoRe 6 July 1861 – 7 August 1941 Untitled Coloured ink on paper, 1930 S/d in Bengali ‘Rabindra 1337’ l.r. 11.7 x 7.6 in (29.7 x 19.3 cm) Condition Good, previously restored (support lined on paper, retouching done at a few places). Provenance Acquired from the Jaidev Sapoi Family Collection. Jaidev’s grand-father was a close friend of Rabindranath Tagore and would stay at Rabindranath’s residence whenever visiting Santiniketan. Rabindranath Tagore gifted this painting to Jaidev’s grand-father in 1930. ` 1,200,000 – 1,800,000 US$ 24,000 – 36,000 National Art Treasure Non-Exportable Item 68 1780 1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1910 1920 1925 1930 1935 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 2000 “My pictures are my versification in lines. If by chance they are entitled to claim recognition it must be primarily for some rhythmic significance of form which is ultimate, and not for any interpretation of an idea, or representation of a fact.” [RabindranathTagore from ‘Foreword’ of Birmingham Gallery Exhibition (First Solo Exhibition by Rabindranath Tagore), rpt. in Gangoly, O.C. [JOU. Ed.][1930] Rupam #42-44, April- October 1930; p.30.] “An exhibition of drawings by Dr. Rabindranath Tagore is of particular interest because it puts before us, almost for the first time, genuine examples of modern primitive art…It would be a great mistake to search in them for hidden spiritual symbolisms; they are not meant to be deciphered like puzzles or code messages... This is a genuinely original, genuinely naive expression; extraordinary evidence of eternal youth persistent in a hoary and venerable personage... The poet gives no descriptive titles to his pictures - how could he? They are not pictures about things, but pictures about himself. In this sense they are probably much nearer to his music than to his poetry... (his is) not art intended to improve our minds, nor to provide for the artist himself an ‘escape’; but without ulterior motive, truly innocent, like the creation of a universe.” [A.K. Coomaraswamy, rpt. in Gangoly, O.C. [JOU.Ed.][1930] Rupam #42-44, April-October 1930; p.31-2.] Illustrative Reference for a similar work Kumar, R. Siva [Ed.] [2011]. Rabindra Chitravali: Paintings of Rabindranath Tagore (Five Volumes including an Introductory Catalogue). Kolkata: Pratikshan in association with Visva- Bharati (Santiniketan) & Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India; Vol.1, p.254, plate 399. Creative India BENGAL | Rabindranath Tagore & Santiniketan 161 160