Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1490 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1977.41
- Credit line
- Purchase, Margery and Harry Kahn Gift, 1977
About this work
The artist used fine brushes to layer ink and watercolor, building up color in thin, see-through coats called glazing.
A woman in a red sari sits on the floor, one hand resting on her knee. She holds a book, her gaze steady and calm. Gold jewelry glints at her wrists and neck.
This small painting was made around 1490 in Gujarat, India, long before photography. The artist used fine brushes to layer ink and watercolor, building up color in thin, see-through coats called glazing. The quiet detail, her fingers curled around the book, feels almost alive.
Look up other works tagged women, india (gujarat), woman to see more like it.
Subject & Meaning
The painting Untitled, dated 1490, is executed in ink and opaque watercolor on paper and belongs to the religious genre. It depicts a solitary woman, the only figure identified in the composition. In the context of late fifteenth-century devotional art, such portrayals of women often functioned as visual embodiments of spiritual ideals or personifications of virtues, reflecting contemporary iconographic conventions. The work is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Technique & Style
Created in 1490 in India, this religious painting depicts a woman using ink and opaque watercolor applied to paper. The work measures 11.4 cm in height and 29.2 cm in width. Executed by an anonymous artist, the piece is classified as a painting and is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1977 as accession number 1977.41. The museum records list its creation in 1490, attributed to an anonymous painter working in India. The painting is executed in ink and opaque watercolor on paper and depicts a woman within a religious context. No documented commission or earlier ownership chain is provided in the cited sources.
Legacy
The 1490 ink and opaque watercolor work, titled Untitled, is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection and is studied as a representative example of early Indian religious painting. Attributed to an anonymous artist, the piece exemplifies the stylistic characteristics of its period and genre, drawing scholarly attention to anonymous workshops of the time. Measuring 11.4 cm by 29.2 cm, the work is noted for its depiction of a woman in a devotional context, underscoring its significance within the museum's holdings of South Asian art.
Overview
This untitled painting, created around 1490 in Gujarat, India, depicts a seated woman. Rendered with ink and opaque watercolor on paper, the artwork presents a figure in a red sari, holding a book with a composed expression. The intricate details, such as her gold jewelry and the delicate rendering of her hands, highlight the artist's skill in this small-scale work.
Artist & collection
