Untitled

Untitled, painted in 1917 by Pannalai, is executed in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper and portrays a man hunting a bear. The composition measures 55.6 cm by 45.6 cm. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, establishing its current ownership after creation by the artist. Its dating is confirmed by the 1917 inception recorded in the museum’s catalogue.

While the specific inventory or accession number is not provided in the available records, the sources do not contain information regarding the work's exhibition history or specific display locations within the museum.

Untitled (1917) by Pannalai is an ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper painting that portrays a man hunting a bear, a motif recorded in both the artist’s catalog and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection database. The work is classified as a painting and is part of the museum’s holdings, indicating its acceptance into a major institutional context. Its depiction of wilderness and human-animal interaction reflects early twentieth‑century figurative interests, positioning it within broader discussions of narrative symbolism in modern art.

Created around 1917 by the artist Pannalai, this untitled work is a page from a royal hunting album originating in Rajasthan, India. Executed in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, the composition depicts a man on horseback accompanied by two bears and a pack of dogs within a flat, golden field. The artist employs a distinct Rajput aesthetic, utilizing a two-dimensional perspective that eliminates atmospheric depth in favor of a stylized, decorative plane.

The extensive use of gold leaf and layered pigments creates a luminous surface, emphasizing the regal context of the subject matter. Unlike dynamic European hunting scenes, the figures are frozen in a state of suspended animation; there is no depiction of blood, violence, or active pursuit. This stillness transforms the scene from a record of a hunt into a formalized tableau of courtly life and power.

The work reflects the continuation of traditional Mughal and Rajput manuscript painting techniques into the early 20th century, serving as a document of aristocratic leisure and artistic patronage in Rajasthan during the British colonial period.