Sunayani Devi

Sunayani Devi: The first Indian woman painter to gain public recognition

Sunayani Devi was born in Calcutta, to the Tagore family of ingenious writers and painters. She grew up amidst the cultural ferment that was the Bengal Renaissance. She was brought up in the traditional and secluded women's quarters. She recalls her fascination with the devotional pictures in her aunt's room as a child. At that time, " it was unknown and unheard of for women to do anything."

Sunayani Devi (1875 – 1962): An Overview

Sunayani Devi was an Indian painter born into the aristocratic Tagore family in Calcutta, West Bengal in 1875. She was a self-taught artist with no academic training in art. Inspired by her brothers, Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, and Samarendranath Tagore, she started painting only at the age of 3. She was married at the age of 11 to the grandson of Raja Ram Mohan Roy.

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