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.
- 57.51.38.67
- Credit line
- Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Its iconography draws on Jain symbolic motifs that convey ascetic renunciation and the pursuit of liberation, typical of Jain narrative scenes.
The painting, dated 1449 and executed in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, belongs to the Jain religious tradition as indicated by its Wikidata classification. Its iconography draws on Jain symbolic motifs that convey ascetic renunciation and the pursuit of liberation, typical of Jain narrative scenes. As a work attributed to the artist Bhadrabahu and housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it functions as a devotional image within the broader corpus of Jain art, embodying spiritual themes central to the faith.
Technique & Style
Created in 1449, this religious painting by Bhadrabahu employs a traditional Indian medium consisting of ink, opaque watercolor, and gold applied to a paper support. The work is classified within the genre of religious art and specifically depicts themes of Jainism. Physically, the artwork measures 11.4 units in height and 28.9 units in width, originating from India.
The incorporation of gold alongside pigments suggests a formal approach consistent with devotional manuscript or panel painting traditions of the period. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
The work was created in 1449 by the artist Bhadrabahu, executed in India using ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper as part of a religious Jain devotional context. It subsequently entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 57.51.38.67. No details of an intermediate ownership chain, commissioning party, or earlier provenance prior to its acquisition by the Metropolitan Museum of Art are documented in the available records.
The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is cataloged under the accession number 57.51.38.67. Created in 1449 by the artist Bhadrabahu, this ink, opaque watercolor, and gold painting on paper depicts themes related to Jainism.
While the source data confirms its current location and inventory details at the museum, no specific records regarding its past exhibition history are provided in the available documentation.
Overview
This untitled work, created by Bhadrabahu in 1449, is a painting rendered in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. It originates from a Jain manuscript, illustrating a religious scene central to the faith. The artwork depicts a monk imparting knowledge to his disciples, characteristic of the didactic nature of Jain art from this period.
Artist & collection
