Autographed drawing by Rabindranath Tagore (1920)

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Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European Nobel laureate in literature, signed a portrait of him while traveling in 1920.

Drawing by Jan D. Ros, representing Rabindranath Tagore, with Tagore's signature. It comes with a document indicating where and when the design was executed and a rare book by Jan D. Ros. In Dutch. 29cm x 21.4cm. Holland, 1920. Good condition. Single piece.

Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941) was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1913. A novelist and poet, but also a musician, he profoundly influenced Indian literature and music.

At the beginning of the 20th century, in Holland, there were already many people looking for peace and a new spirituality, especially after the First World War (1914 - 1918) in which Holland remained neutral. And when "colonial" thinkers like Krishnamurti and Tagore came to Europe, they were very well received as bearers of some enlightenment and spirituality.

Rabindranath Tagore stayed less than a week in Holland, interested especially in the educational experiments being carried out in the country and in the attempts being made to introduce the co-operative movement among the peasants. He was invited by Frederik Van Eeden (1860 - 1932), one of the most important authors of his generation, in the Netherlands. A great admirer of Tagore, he wrote in his diary:

Sunday, September 19th. I met Tagore, I awaited him at the railway station. The first thing I saw was his shining gray hair in the compartment. He noticed me and it seemed as if he recognized me. He is a fine honorable figure. He was dressed in grey, wearing a blue robe and a high black cap on his head. He wore eye-glasses. His voice is soft and pleasant to listen to. It sounds somewhat high of tone and a bit breathless. He has his long hair and beard. He spreads a strong influence of purity and serenity. It is as though it is surrounded by a fresh, clean and healthy atmosphere. And his appearance is in a stately way and very much in harmony. He is a little bit taller than I am, and one year younger. But in the presence of his honor I felt like a street-boy, with my cap, my plain trousers and my red shoes. The ticketman from the railway station, who knows me well, asked: "This must be a very highly placed person, Doctor Van Eeden?" "Yes" I said, "very highly placed indeed". I have never known any person with such a "presence" which everyone should feel such respect for. Tagore enjoyed himself in the bright cloudy sky and the low landscape just as flat as Bengal.

Liesbeth Meyer, a Dutch expert on Rabidranath Tagore, also confirmed the originality and rarity of this set.