Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting by the Indian Miniature artist Bhadrabahu. It dates from 1449 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 57.51.38.46
- Credit line
- Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The specific iconographic content reflects Jain religious tradition, though the precise narrative or figural scene is not detailed in the available sources.
This 1449 painting by Bhadrabahu is a religious work depicting Jainism, the ancient Indian religion founded on principles of non-violence and spiritual liberation. Created with ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, the work belongs to the genre of religious art produced in India during the fifteenth century. The specific iconographic content reflects Jain religious tradition, though the precise narrative or figural scene is not detailed in the available sources.
The use of gold and rich pigments suggests a devotional purpose, consistent with Jain manuscript and temple painting practices of the period. Its classification as religious art and explicit association with Jainism indicate it served to illustrate or honor tenets, stories, or figures central to that faith.
Technique & Style
The work Untitled (1449) by Bhadrabahu is executed in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, a support typical of Jain manuscript painting. Delicate line work and subtle gradations of color create a flattened, stylized space in which figures are rendered with elongated proportions and intricate patterning, characteristic of early Indian religious art. The painting measures approximately 11.4 cm in height by 28.9 cm in width and was produced in India.
It is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art under accession number 57.51.38.46, with no further conservation details recorded.
History & Provenance
Untitled, a Jain religious painting executed by Bhadrabahu in 1449, was produced in India using ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. The work measures 11.4 × 28.9 cm and belongs to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, catalogued under accession number 57.51.38.46. The available sources confirm its current location and inventory details but do not record a specific exhibition history.
Context
The painting Untitled by Bhadrabahu, dated 1449, exemplifies fifteenth-century Indian religious art within the Jain tradition. Executed in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, it is classified as a religious painting and held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its depiction of Jain subject matter aligns with broader scholarly understanding of manuscript painting in medieval India, illustrating how devotional imagery functioned within religious practice, and marking the stylistic and thematic concerns of the period.
Overview
This untitled painting, created by Bhadrabahu in 1449, is a small, vibrant work rendered in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. It depicts a religious scene central to Jainism, showing a monk imparting teachings to two individuals seated beneath a tree. The use of gold leaf imbues the composition with a luminous quality, characteristic of its origin as a page from a sacred manuscript.
Artist & collection
