Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Nihâl Chand in ca. 1700.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Untitled

Nihâl Chand , 1700

Untitled is a watercolor painting by the Baroque artist Nihâl Chand. It dates from 1700 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

These elements together convey the grandeur of courtly life and the importance of mounted warfare and processionary display in the region’s cultural tradition.

The painting portrays a ceremonial procession that includes an elephant, a horse, a mounted man, and a broader equestrian scene, all rendered in the style of early 18th‑century Rajasthani miniature painting. These elements together convey the grandeur of courtly life and the importance of mounted warfare and processionary display in the region’s cultural tradition. The composition reflects the aesthetic emphasis on detailed narrative scenes and the symbolic use of majestic animals and formal parades to signify power and status.

Technique & Style

Created in 1700 in Rajasthan, India, this work by Nihal Chand is executed in ink and opaque watercolor enhanced with gold on a paper support. The painting measures 21 cm in height and 32.4 cm in width. Stylistically, the piece functions as a landscape genre scene depicting a processional parade.

The composition features equestrian elements, specifically showing a man on horseback alongside an elephant, utilizing the luminous quality of gold and the flat, decorative potential of opaque pigments typical of the region's artistic traditions during this period.

History & Provenance

The untitled painting was produced in Rajasthan, India, around 1700 by the Indian artist Nihal Chand. Executed in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, the work depicts an elephant, a horse, a man, and a processional parade in an equestrian context. Its creation history is tied to the artist’s activity in the early 18th‑century Rajasthani court, though no specific commission record survives.

The piece entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, where it has been catalogued and displayed as part of the museum’s Indian painting holdings.

Overview

This untitled painting, executed with ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, captures a lengthy procession. Tiny figures on foot, horseback, and atop elephants wind across a flat, expansive landscape beneath a pale sky. The work likely originated within a royal court in Rajasthan, serving as a visual record or celebration of courtly life rather than a depiction of conflict.