Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1645 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 55.121.27
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1955
About this work
A woman in a red sari sits on the ground, holding a peacock by its long tail feathers while two more strut behind her, their blue-green necks catching the light. The plain background keeps the focus on them. Painted in Rajasthan in northwest India around 1645, likely for a royal court, it uses bright flat color and fine brushwork that feel at once real and dreamlike.
Subject & Meaning
The artwork is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is classified as a portrait from the mid-17th century Indian artistic tradition.
The 1645 painting, attributed to an anonymous Indian artist, portrays a woman together with a bird identified as a peafowl. Both elements are recorded in the work's cataloguing, which notes the depiction of a bird, peafowl, and a woman. The composition combines a human figure with a distinctive avian form, though the sources do not elaborate on specific symbolic or narrative meanings beyond the visual presence of these motifs.
The artwork is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is classified as a portrait from the mid-17th century Indian artistic tradition.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, a combination characteristic of mid-seventeenth-century Indian miniature painting. The composition measures 26.7 cm in height by 20 cm in width, a modest format suited to the delicate handling of the medium. The use of opaque watercolor alongside ink allowed for both fine linear definition and saturated color application, supporting the depiction of a woman alongside a peafowl.
The portrait genre classification and the small support are consistent with the conventions of the period and region in which the piece was produced.
History & Provenance
Created in India in 1645, this ink and opaque watercolor on paper is the work of an anonymous artist. The piece, classified as a portrait, depicts a woman alongside a peafowl and other birds. While the specific circumstances of its commission and early ownership history remain undocumented in the available records, the work is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The dimensions of the sheet are recorded as 26.7 cm in height by 20 cm in width.
Context
The 1645 ink and opaque watercolor painting, attributed to an anonymous Indian artist, portrays a woman alongside a peafowl and is classified as a portrait within the broader tradition of 17th-century Indian court art. Its depiction of avian motifs and refined line work reflects contemporary aesthetic interests in naturalism and status symbolism, a focus noted in scholarly analyses of early modern Indian painting. The work is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is studied as an exemplar of anonymous portraiture that bridges devotional and secular subjects.
Overview
This untitled painting, rendered with ink and opaque watercolor on paper, depicts a seated woman interacting with peacocks. Originating from Rajasthan in northwest India, the work showcases a distinctive regional style. The composition features vibrant hues and precise detailing, characteristic of the period's artistic practices.
It captures a serene encounter between a human figure and the natural world, presented with a blend of realism and imaginative interpretation.
Artist & collection
- Untitled
Two Women Pluck Flowers on a Terrace: Gunakali Ragini, from a Ragamala
Two Women Pluck Flowers on a Terrace: Gunakali Ragini, from a Ragamala
Kakubha Ragini
Madhu Madhavi Ragini
Devagiri Ragini
Krishna and Gopis
Ragini Devagandhari, Page from a Jaipur Ragamala Set
Vilaval Ragini
Ragini Kakubha, Page from a Jaipur Ragamala Set
A Heroine Waiting for Her Paramour: Vasakasajja Nayika, from a Nurpur Rasikapriya
Gauri Ragini
