Autographed drawing by Rabindranath Tagore (1920)

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Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European Nobel Prize winner for literature, signed a portrait of himself during a trip in 1920.

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

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

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

Rabindranath Tagore stayed in Holland for less than a week, interested especially in the educational experiments that were being carried out in the country and in the attempts that were 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 hair and beard long. He spreads a strong influence of purity and serenity. It is as though he is surrounded by a fresh, clean and healthy atmosphere. And its 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, Dutch expert on Rabidranath Tagore, also confirmed the originality and rarity of the set.