Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1383 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1997.133
- Credit line
- Purchase, Friends of Asian Art, Evelyn Kranes Kossak Gift, 1997
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1383 in India, the painting presents the subject in a formal manner typical of royal portraiture from the period.
The work depicts a single male figure identified as a king, executed as a portrait. Created in 1383 in India, the painting presents the subject in a formal manner typical of royal portraiture from the period. As an anonymous creation, the specific identity of the monarch remains unrecorded in the available documentation, leaving the iconography focused on the general representation of kingship rather than a named individual.
The composition relies on the depiction of the man's regal status to convey meaning, without additional symbolic elements or narrative scenes described in the sources.
Technique & Style
Created in 1383 in India, this anonymous portrait utilizes opaque watercolor applied to paper. The work functions as a painting within the portrait genre, depicting a male figure identified as a king. Physically, the sheet measures 8.6 cm in height and 35.1 cm in width, indicating a narrow, horizontal format. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Untitled is an opaque watercolor on paper portrait dated to 1383, created in India and depicting a king alongside a man. The work is classified as a painting and belongs to the portrait genre. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view.
No documentation of a specific commission or patron survives, and the provenance is limited to its transfer to the museum, after which it has been part of the museum’s holdings. The dating is confirmed by the cited inception date of 1383‑01‑01.
The work titled Untitled, attributed to an anonymous painter, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The painting, dated 1383, measures 8.6 by 35.1 and is classified as a painting in the portrait genre, executed in opaque watercolor on paper and depicting a king and a man.
Its place of manufacture is recorded as India.
No accession number or exhibition record is cited in the available documentation.
Overview
This untitled painting, rendered in opaque watercolor on paper, presents a regal figure seated upon a low throne. Dressed in a vibrant red robe, the king holds both a delicate flower and a formidable sword, juxtaposing symbols of peace and power. The work exemplifies a distinctive regional aesthetic from western India.
Context
The creator of this painting remains unidentified, a common circumstance for many works from this period and region. However, its distinctive "quiet, glowing style" firmly places it within the artistic traditions of Gujarat, located in western India. This regional aesthetic is recognizable across various works from the area, offering a consistent visual language for further study and appreciation.
Artist & collection
