The Face

Rabindranath Tagore was a polymath from Bengal of undivided India. From writing poems, novels, plays to playing a great in India's struggle for Independence; Tagore was a key element and driving force of contemporary society. He emerged as a painter later in his life as he understood and I quote "So often I think that only painting has a deathless quality". Tagore's painting included landscapes and portrayal of human life and emotions. Surrealism can be pointed out through his paintings as he was immersed in the process of depicting one's true nature through one's emotions as reflected on one's face. "The Face" is one such artwork which embodies the essence of great interiority through the exterior expression on the subject's face. The philosophical quest for beauty and truth guides Tagore to depict faces of men and women to enrich his own self. The aforementioned painting showcases the face of a man which clearly emphasizes his despondency og some sort. The face covers the entirety of the page highlighting how nothing but the emotion is of importance here. He faces downward and his eyebags are prominent making portraying a deep sense of sorrow or remorse. He paints these human emotions in hurried lines of brush strokes while choosing a rather dull greyish colour pallette as if to depict lifelessness. This kind of emotion depicts how the man isn't content and his face becomes the marker of his unhappiness. Tagore faced great hardships in his personal life as he had lost his mother, father and even his wife and some other family members during his lifetime. Many of his poems thoroughly embody this sense of depression and loneliness and "The Face" does so through the medium of visual art.