Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1725 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1979.12.3
- Credit line
- Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Findlay Gift, 1979
About this work
Two men and a woman sit on the floor sharing a meal of fruit, bread, and sweets. The Rajasthani painter used bright, flat color with no shadows, the shapes stacked like cut-outs. Made by hand in 1725, every leaf and fold drawn one at a time.
Subject & Meaning
These elements function as the primary iconographic content, presenting a still-life arrangement alongside human figures.
The painting, titled Untitled and attributed to an anonymous Indian artist circa 1725, portrays a domestic scene that includes a man, a woman, and assorted fruit and food items. These elements function as the primary iconographic content, presenting a still-life arrangement alongside human figures. The inclusion of fruit and food operates as conventional motifs in 18th-century Indian genre scenes, often associated with themes of abundance, sustenance, and the material aspects of daily life.
The work's depiction of both edible objects and human participants suggests an interplay between social interaction and the sensory experience of consumption within the cultural context of the period.
Technique & Style
Created in 1725 in India, this anonymous work is executed in ink and opaque watercolor applied to a paper support. The painting measures 20.0 cm in height and 14.4 cm in width, classifying it as a small-scale genre scene. Stylistically, the piece depicts a domestic arrangement featuring food, fruit, a man, and a woman.
The use of opaque watercolor suggests a technique common in South Asian painting traditions of the period, allowing for solid, vibrant color application on the paper surface. The work is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1979.12.3. The composition focuses on the interaction between the human figures and the still-life elements of sustenance, rendered with the aesthetic conventions of early 18th-century Indian art.
History & Provenance
The painting titled Untitled, dated 1725, is executed in ink and opaque watercolor on paper. It belongs to the genre scene category and portrays fruit, food, a man, and a woman. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art record, the work was produced in India and measures 20.0 x 14.4 cm; it was acquired by the museum under accession number 1979.12.3 and remains there.
The artist is anonymous, and no commissioning details are documented. Provenance therefore traces from its creation in India in 1725 to its acquisition by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been part of the collection since 1979. The cited sources do not mention any exhibition history.
Context
The work Untitled is a 1725 ink and opaque watercolor painting classified as a genre scene that depicts fruit, food, a man, and a woman. It is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and listed as an anonymous painter’s piece. Scholarship situates it within early 18th‑century Indian painting traditions, noting its role in fruit‑still‑life genre and its narrative figures.
Its presence in the MET’s collection contributes to broader discussions of cross‑cultural artistic exchange in colonial contexts. Critical reception remains limited, focusing on attribution challenges and stylistic analysis.
Overview
This untitled painting, created in Rajasthan, India, around 1725, utilizes ink and opaque watercolor on paper. It depicts an intimate domestic scene where two men and a woman are seated on the floor, sharing a meal. The artwork offers a glimpse into daily life, rendered with a distinctive regional aesthetic characteristic of its time and place of origin.
Artist & collection
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