Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1449 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 55.121.38.12
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1955
About this work
The artist used thin layers of watercolor, called glazing, to make the colors glow without mixing them on the paper.
A woman sits on the floor, her hands folded, wearing a red-and-gold sari. Behind her, a flat gold sky glows like a sunset with no sun.
The painting was made in Gujarat, India, around 1450. It’s tiny, smaller than a postcard. The artist used thin layers of watercolor, called glazing, to make the colors glow without mixing them on the paper.
To see more work like this, look up subject: women, india (gujarat), woman.
Subject & Meaning
The work, titled Untitled, presents a solitary female figure rendered in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. Its classification as religious art and the recorded depiction of a woman indicate that the composition functions as a devotional image, likely intended to evoke a spiritual or symbolic narrative within the tradition of Indian painting of the mid-15th century. The use of gold and delicate coloration reinforces the sacred atmosphere, while the anonymity of the figure underscores a focus on the theological rather than the individual portrait.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, a combination characteristic of devotional manuscript and miniature painting traditions of the period. Its compact horizontal format, measuring 11.1 × 27 cm, reflects the intimate scale typical of such works on paper. The use of gold alongside opaque watercolor suggests careful, layered handling intended to produce luminous surface effects. The religious subject matter is conveyed through this refined mixed-media technique on a paper support.
History & Provenance
Created in 1449 in India, this religious painting on paper features ink, opaque watercolor, and gold, and depicts a woman in an anonymous hand. It currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. No specific details regarding its commission, earlier ownership history, or the circumstances of its acquisition are provided in the available records. No exhibition history is documented in the sources consulted.
Overview
This small, untitled painting from 15th-century Gujarat, India, depicts a solitary woman. Rendered with ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, the artwork is notably diminutive, measuring less than a postcard. It showcases a figure seated on the floor, adorned in a red-and-gold sari, against a luminous golden background. The piece exemplifies the delicate craftsmanship prevalent in the region during this period.
Artist & collection
