Ranger Rabindranath by Ketaki Kushari Dyson , Sushobhan Adhikari [Hardcover]

After being mesmerized by a breathtakingly colorful sunset, Rabindranath Tagore, while writing a letter to his niece Indira from Shilaidaha, said, "How many different colors there were, blooming all around, that it would be an audacity on my part—being a person as color-blind as I am—to attempt to describe it." Was this merely a family jest, or was there some truth hidden behind this jest? During his first trip to Europe, he wrote, "I will no longer indulge in discussions about the color spectrum," which gives the impression that young Rabindranath had intense debates with his family members on the topic of color.

His 1890 voyage to foreign lands, especially during his journey on the Red Sea, is well-known among Rabindra-enthusiasts. It was during this voyage that he witnessed a sunset from the ship, which made him feel an extraordinary restlessness: "Amidst the vast stillness of the sea and sky, seeing this strange play of colors, I felt—how can I find words to describe this! But then I ask myself, is it really necessary?" Why this restlessness? Was it merely the romantic poet's overwhelming response to nature's beauty, or was there some deeper sense of helplessness at play? Was there a subtle dissatisfaction born from not being able to capture nature's beauty with his brush? Perhaps a sense of inadequacy stemming from the inability to fully grasp the regal colors of the sunset and, consequently, to describe them appropriately?

It has been pointed out by those close to him that Rabindranath’s visual perception had certain peculiarities. However, our understanding of how this specific perception influenced his work—his writings and paintings—has remained limited. Several essays have been written on this topic, but this is the first complete book dedicated to it. This substantial interdisciplinary work has been created by four researchers, including a writer, a painter, and two scientists. The fusion of literature, art, and science has made this inquiry even more profound. They have tried to understand what was unique about Rabindranath’s perception of color, and how this uniqueness left its imprint in his written and artistic language.

If there were any shortcomings in his visual perception, how did he still emerge as a great artist in both his literary works and his paintings, despite these limitations? Does the struggle with a handicap enhance one's talent, honing its sharpness? How did Rabindranath describe, form, and construct his language of color, and create vivid visual metaphors? Was his auditory or olfactory sense always engaged in trying to compensate for the incompleteness of his visual perception? Despite his attraction to visual art, what led him to delay becoming a full-fledged painter? Was the limitation of his perception of color the cause? What was the history of his self-formation as a painter, and did foreign influences play a role in guiding him on this path?

This book presents an in-depth analysis of the language of color in Rabindranath’s writings, his journey as a writer-turned-artist, the foreign influences on his paintings, and an illustrated scholarly discussion on the use of color and lines in his artwork. It also sheds relevant scientific light on his visual perception and the scientific measurement of color use in his art, including the analysis of data derived from these measurements. Undoubtedly, this book is an unprecedented addition to Rabindranath research, opening a new horizon in our understanding. After reading this, readers will no longer view Rabindranath's creations with the same old perspective. This kind of interdisciplinary research is rare in the global context.