Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1685 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1974.219
- Credit line
- Gift of Jeffrey Paley, 1974
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Its imagery centers on the deity Krishna alongside a female figure, with death also forming a key element of the depicted scene.
This untitled 1685 work on paper belongs to the religious genre and is rooted in the iconographic tradition of Hinduism. Its imagery centers on the deity Krishna alongside a female figure, with death also forming a key element of the depicted scene. The combination of Krishna, a woman, and mortality suggests a devotional narrative drawn from Hindu sacred literature, in which the god's interactions with devotees and the theme of life's transience are recurring subjects.
As an anonymous devotional painting produced in India, the work functions both as a representation of Krishna's mythological presence and as a meditation on death within a Hindu theological framework, inviting contemplation of the soul's relationship to the divine.
Technique & Style
Created in 1685 in India, this religious painting utilizes ink and opaque watercolor applied to a paper support. The work, attributed to an anonymous artist, visually engages with Hindu themes, specifically depicting Krishna, a woman, and the concept of death. As a piece classified within the paintings genre, its material composition reflects traditional South Asian artistic practices of the late seventeenth century.
The combination of fluid ink lines with the density of opaque pigments allows for the detailed rendering of figural and narrative elements central to the depicted spiritual subjects. The artwork is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Context
The 1685 ink and opaque watercolor work, Untitled, is attributed to an anonymous Indian painter and belongs to the Hindu religious genre, portraying Krishna alongside a woman in a scene of death. Its creation in India is documented, and the piece is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, reflecting the museum’s holdings of early South Asian devotional paintings. Scholarship on 17th‑century Indian art notes the work’s significance as an example of anonymous workshop production and the integration of Hindu iconography within the broader context of Mughal‑era miniature traditions, though its reception remains limited by the lack of a known artist.
Overview
This untitled work, rendered in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, depicts a poignant scene from a Hindu narrative. Originating from the small kingdom of Bikaner in northwest India, the painting captures a moment of solace. A woman rests on a bed, enveloped in white cloth, while a male figure in blue offers comfort by holding her hand. Several other onlookers observe the scene quietly, contributing to its intimate atmosphere.
Artist & collection
- Nanda and the Elders in Council with the Cowherds, from a Bhagavata Purana
Radha Awaiting Reconciliation with Krishna, from a Gita Govinda of Jayadeva
Untitled
Untitled
Taking of the toll, Dana-Lila
The Guru Discourses While Noblemen Wait
Krishna
Untitled
Rama, Sita and Lakhshmana
Maharaja Raj Singh
Malar Ragini: Krishna Playing the Flute to Seven Gopis Holding Musical Instruments, from the Ragamala Series
Untitled
