Kolkata:
Twelve paintings by Nobel laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore are to be auctioned in London by Sotheby's on June 15. News of this has created a stir in Kolkata. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue.
Tagore started painting in his late 60s. But he was prolific, producing more than 2000 pieces of art. Twelve of those he had given to Leonard Elmhirst, who had worked as his secretary at Shantiniketan for some years. These paintings will be auctioned on June 15 in London, unless the Prime Minister steps in, as Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has urged him to.
The Chief Minister in his letter said, "Tagore's paintings are priceless treasures of Indian culture and the government of India should take all necessary steps to bring those paintings back."
Artists, art historians and Tagore acolytes are shocked with the news.
"There should be a policy formulated on this. The whole thing with Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings last year and in what ways the government could claim them back. With paintings there is an even greater demand. Of course, it being Tagore's 150 birth anniversary, it would be important to get these 12 paintings back," said Tapati Guha Thakurta, an art historian.
The 12 paintings have never appeared on the open market. They have a pre-sale combined estimate in the region of £250,000.
The Prime Minister has called a meeting on Thursday of a special panel on Tagore's 150th birth anniversary celebrations. The issue of the auction of Tagore's paintings may come up there.
Tagore started painting in his late 60s. But he was prolific, producing more than 2000 pieces of art. Twelve of those he had given to Leonard Elmhirst, who had worked as his secretary at Shantiniketan for some years. These paintings will be auctioned on June 15 in London, unless the Prime Minister steps in, as Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has urged him to.
The Chief Minister in his letter said, "Tagore's paintings are priceless treasures of Indian culture and the government of India should take all necessary steps to bring those paintings back."
Artists, art historians and Tagore acolytes are shocked with the news.
"There should be a policy formulated on this. The whole thing with Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings last year and in what ways the government could claim them back. With paintings there is an even greater demand. Of course, it being Tagore's 150 birth anniversary, it would be important to get these 12 paintings back," said Tapati Guha Thakurta, an art historian.
The 12 paintings have never appeared on the open market. They have a pre-sale combined estimate in the region of £250,000.
The Prime Minister has called a meeting on Thursday of a special panel on Tagore's 150th birth anniversary celebrations. The issue of the auction of Tagore's paintings may come up there.
