Rabindranath Tagore and Mrinalini Devi, 1883

What it is

This black-and-white studio photograph shows Rabindranath Tagore standing beside his wife Mrinalini Devi, taken around 1883, the year of their marriage. The photographer is unknown.

Why it matters

This image documents a key personal event in Tagore's life — his marriage — at a time when marriages, including his own, were often arranged early according to the customs of the period. It gives students a glimpse of Tagore's private life alongside his public role as a poet and thinker.

Look closer

• What does the formal pose and studio setting tell you about how photographs were made at this time?
• What can and can't a photograph like this tell you about a marriage or a relationship?
• Who is missing from the historical record who might have a different perspective on this moment?