https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Pratima_Devi_%28painter%29Pratima Devi (painter) - Revision history2026-09-07T01:48:39ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pratima_Devi_(painter)&diff=114822&oldid=prev>Ira Leviton: Fixed typos found with Wikipedia:Typo Team/moss.2021-06-23T19:15:52Z<p>Fixed typos found with <a href="https://en.bharatpedia.org/wiki/Bharatpedia:Typo_Team/moss" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Typo Team/moss">Wikipedia:Typo Team/moss</a>.</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian Bengali artist}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}<br />
{{Infobox artist<br />
| name = Pratima Devi<br />
| image = PratimaDevi1921.jpg<br />
| imagesize =<br />
| caption = Pratima Devi, 1921<br />
| birth_name = <br />
| birth_date = {{Birth year|1893}}<br />
| birth_place = Calcutta<br />
| death_date = {{Death year and age|1969|1893}}<br />
| death_place = Santiniketan<br />
| nationality = Indian/Bengali<br />
| education = <br />
| field = [[Traditional Dance]], [[Painting]]<br />
| training =<br />
| movement = <br />
| works =<br />
| patrons =<br />
| awards = <br />
| spouse = Nilanath Mukhopadhyay, [[Rathindranath Tagore]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Pratima Devi''' (1893–1969) was an Indian Bengali artist, widely known for her artistic abilities. She was wife of [[Rathindranath Tagore]], son of [[Rabindranath Tagore]]. The poet took special interest in developing her capabilities.<br />
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==Parentage==<br />
She was daughter of Seshendra Bhusan Chattopadhyay and Binayani Devi, sister of [[Gaganendranath Tagore]] and [[Abanindranath Tagore]].<ref name="viswa">{{Cite web|url=http://www.visvabharati.ac.in/PratimaDevi.html|title=Pratima Devi (1893-1969)|publisher=Visva-Bharati|access-date=2016-03-13}}</ref><ref name="charitabhidhan">Samsad Bangali Charitabhidhan (Biographical Dictionary), Chief Editor: Subodh Chandra Sengupta, Editor: Anjali Bose, 4th edition 1998, {{in lang|bn}}, Vol I, page 185, {{ISBN|81-85626-65-0}}, Sishu Sahitya Samsad Pvt. Ltd., 32A Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, Kolkata.</ref><br />
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==Activities==<br />
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-11643, Rabindranath Tagore.jpg|200px|thumb|right| Rabindranath Tagore in Germany in 1931 with Pratima Devi and Aryum and Amiya Chakravarty<ref>Sources of information: [http://sesquicentinnial.blogspot.com/2013/03/rabindranath-in-germany-july-1930.html Smarak Grantha] and [http://unboundintelligence.com/rabindranath-tagore-and-albert-einstein/ When two giants met - Rabindranath Tagore and Albert Einstein]</ref>]]<br />
Pratima studied art under painter [[Nandalal Bose]] and [[Rabindranath Tagore]].<ref name="viswa"/> Rabindranath encouraged her to pursue her artistic talents.<ref>{{Cite book|title=I Won't Let You Go: Selected Poems Ed: Ketaki Kushari Dyson|last=Tagore|first=Rabindranath|publisher=Penguin Books India|year=2011|isbn=9780143416142}}</ref> She exhibited her work at the Indian Society of Oriental Art, run by the [[Tagore family]], from 1915 onwards.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=The Triumph of Modernism: India's Artists and the Avant-garde, 1922-1947|last=Mitter|first=Partha|publisher=Reaktion Books|year=2007|isbn=9781861893185}}</ref> She then moved to Paris, where she studied the Italian "[[Intonaco|wet fresco]]" method.<ref name=":0" /><br />
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Immediately after her marriage in 1910,Pratima,accompanied by her husband, had lived for sometime at the family estate at [[Shilaidaha]], now in Bangladesh.<ref name="ABP">{{cite web |title=কবিপুত্র | trans-title = Kabiputra |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/supplementary/patrika/some-unknown-facts-about-tagore-s-son-rathindranath-tagore-1.566092 |publisher=[[Anandabazar Patrika]] |access-date=2 August 2019 |language=bn |date=18 February 2017}}</ref>Subsequently, Pratima returned to [[Santiniketan]] and followed in the footsteps of her father-in-law and husband and immersed herself in the activities of [[Visva Bharati University|Visva Bharati]].<ref name="charitabhidhan"/>She also accompanied them in their visits to distant places.<ref name="viswa"/> She was in charge of the dance curriculum at the music and dance school founded by Rabindranath Tagore in Shantiniketan.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Engendering Performance: Indian Women Performers in Search of an Identity|last=Dutt, Sarkar Munsi|first=Bishnupriya, Urmimala|publisher=SAGE Publications India|year=2010|isbn=9788132106128}}</ref> She is credited as one of the pivotal influences that shaped Tagore's dance-dramas in the early years.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/books/tagores-dance-legacy-and-its-relevance/article2749999.ece|title=Tagore's dance legacy and its relevance|date=2011-12-26|newspaper=The Hindu|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X|access-date=2016-03-13}}</ref> She could easily pick up a new craft and adapt it for the Silpa Sadan curriculum.<ref name="viswa"/><br />
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== Early life, marriage and death ==<br />
Pratima Devi was born in [[Calcutta]] (later Kolkata) on 5 November 1893.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://uttarayan.myfreeforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=255&start=0|title=Rabindranath's Tagore's Descendants|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314050217/http://uttarayan.myfreeforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=255&start=0|archive-date=14 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> She was first married as a child bride to Nilanath Mukhopadhyay, son of Nirode Nath Mukhopadhyay, a classmate of Rabindranath, but after two months Nilanath died suddenly by drowning in the Ganges. Rabindranath Tagore arranged the 17 year old Pratima's marriage to his son, [[Rathindranath Tagore]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite web | url = http://sesquicentinnial.blogspot.com/2011/11/rathindranath-thakur-1888-1961.html| title = Rathindranath Part I | publisher = Smarak Grantha |access-date = 5 August 2019}}</ref>Rathindranath and Pratima adopted a daughter in 1922 - Nandini, better known by her nickname - Pupee (meaning 'doll' in French).<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite web | url = http://sesquicentinnial.blogspot.com/2012/07/nandini-adopted-child-of-rathindranath.html| title = Nandini adopted child of Rathindranath and Pratima | publisher = Smarak Grantha |access-date = 26 July 2019}}</ref>Pratima's marriage with Rathindranath seemed to be a happy one in the earlier years, but it started facing rough weather later in life. A somewhat egoistic Rathindranath, who remained an enigma in the 'glittering array of tremendously talented and creative individuals' of the Tagore family, resigned his position as vice chancellor of Visva Bharati University in 1953 and left Santiniketan forever. Pratima remained back in Santiniketan. However, they were in touch with each other through correspondence till Rathindranath's death in 1961.<ref name="ABP"/><ref>{{cite web | url = https://thebookreviewindia.org/a-page-out-of-a-radicals-life/| title = A Page out of a Radical’s Life| publisher = The Book Review Literary Trust |access-date = 26 July 2019}}</ref>Pratima died on 9 January 1969.<ref name="charitabhidhan"/><br />
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==Family==<br />
Nandini Tagore was married in 1940. Rabindranath composed the song ''Sumangali bodhu sanchita rekho prane,,'' for the occasion of his grand daughter's marriage to Giridhari Lala. They used to stay in ''Chhayanir'' in Ratanpally.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.geetabitan.com/lyrics/S/sumongoli-bodhu-lyric.html| title = Lyric and background history of the song Sumangali Bodhu Sanchito| work= All about Rabindra Sangeet| publisher = Gitabitan.com |access-date = 3 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.pinterest.com/pin/314900198935939216/ | title = Rabindranath Tagore at grand daughter’s marriage | publisher = Pinterest |access-date = 3 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="ABP"/>Nandini's son, Sunandan Lala, attended [[Patha Bhavana, Santiniketan|Patha Bhavana]] and then went on to complete PhD in synthetic organic chemistry. As of 2012, they stay in Bangalore.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://in.linkedin.com/in/sunandan-lala-67715b36| title = Sunandan Lala | publisher = Linkedin |access-date = 26 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.deccanherald.com/content/246172/remembering-genius-tagore.html| title = Remembering the genius of Tagore| publisher = Deccan Herald, 1 May 2012 |access-date = 26 July 2019}}</ref><br />
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==Books==<br />
Pratima wrote several books. ''Nirban'' focussed on the last year of the poet’s life. In ''Smritichinha'', she talks of Abanindranath and Rabindranath. ''Nritya'' documents the tradition of dance at Santiniketan. ''Chitralekha'' is a collection of her poems and other writings.<ref name="charitabhidhan"/> <br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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{{Tagore family}}<br />
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{{authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, Pratima}}<br />
[[Category:1893 births]]<br />
[[Category:1969 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Indian women painters]]<br />
[[Category:Bengali Hindus]]<br />
[[Category:Bengali women artists]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian women artists]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian painters]]<br />
[[Category:Indian female dancers]]<br />
[[Category:19th-century Indian women]]<br />
[[Category:19th-century Indian people]]<br />
[[Category:Rabindranath Tagore]]<br />
[[Category:Painters from West Bengal]]<br />
[[Category:Dancers from West Bengal]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian dancers]]<br />
[[Category:Women artists from West Bengal]]<br />
[[Category:People associated with Santiniketan]]<br />
[[Category:Tagore family]]</div>>Ira Leviton