Einstein and Tagore, Berlin, 14 July 1930

What it is

This photograph, taken by American photographer Martin Vos in 1930, shows Albert Einstein and Rabindranath Tagore seated side by side. Einstein, with his characteristic tousled hair and mustache, wears a dark suit; Tagore, with his long white beard, wears a dark robe-like coat.

Why it matters

The photograph records a meeting between two of the twentieth century's most famous thinkers, a scientist and a poet-philosopher, who met to discuss questions about the nature of reality and truth. The encounter has become famous as a symbol of dialogue between science and the humanities, and between Western and Eastern thought.

Look closer

• What might this photograph suggest about how these two men saw each other, based on their postures and expressions?
• Why do you think a meeting between a scientist and a poet became so famous?
• What does a photograph like this capture, and what parts of their conversation would it never show?