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.
- 1978.542.2
- Credit line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Uzi Zucker, 1978
About this work
A woman in a red sari stands on a balcony holding a flower while a man in a white robe looks up from the courtyard below. Painted in Malwa, central India, around 1680, it likely shows Radha awaiting her lover. Thin, even lines and no shading keep the scene flat and clear.
Subject & Meaning
The composition belongs to Indian religious painting traditions of the late 17th century and conveys themes of divine love and devotion through its iconography.
The work, dated 1685 and executed in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, shows the Hindu goddess Rādhā standing inside a modest interior with an accompanying woman; a built structure is visible behind them, suggesting a sacred domestic setting. The composition belongs to Indian religious painting traditions of the late 17th century and conveys themes of divine love and devotion through its iconography. The painting is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection and was produced in India.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, indicating a drawing-painting technique applied to a paper support. As a religious painting from 1685, it portrays Rādhā alongside a building and a woman, reflecting the devotional subject matter typical of Indian artistic practice. The use of opaque watercolor suggests layered washes combined with fine ink line work, producing a flat yet detailed visual field characteristic of manuscript illumination.
History & Provenance
The work is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is catalogued as an anonymous painting from 1685. It entered the museum's collection as part of the Rogers Fund in 1919, accession number 19.104.
Overview
This untitled painting, rendered in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, depicts a scene of anticipation. A woman in a vibrant red sari stands on a balcony, holding a flower, while a man in a white robe gazes up at her from the courtyard below. The architectural elements are presented as flat, brightly colored forms, creating a distinct visual clarity against a pale sky. The work originates from central India.
Artist & collection
