Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1449 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 55.121.38.56
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1955
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1449 in India, this anonymous ink and opaque watercolor painting with gold on paper serves as a work of religious art.
Created in 1449 in India, this anonymous ink and opaque watercolor painting with gold on paper serves as a work of religious art. The composition explicitly depicts themes and figures associated with Jainism. As an artifact of this specific faith tradition, the imagery functions as a visual representation of Jain doctrine or narrative, though the specific iconographic details of the scene are not enumerated in the available records.
The work's classification within the religious genre underscores its role as a devotional object or illustrative text intended to convey spiritual meanings central to the Jain community during the mid-fifteenth century.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, a combination typical of fifteenth-century Indian Jain manuscript illumination. The fine, controlled lines of the ink drawing underpin flat, saturated color fields applied in opaque watercolor, while gold is used selectively for decorative highlights and outlines. The support is a single sheet of paper measuring approximately 27 cm in width and 11.1 cm in height.
Handling is meticulous, with precise brushwork and careful layering of color to achieve luminous, jewel-like effects characteristic of the tradition.
History & Provenance
The work titled Untitled, dated 1449, is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is recorded under accession number MET 55.121.38.56. Its medium consists of ink, opaque watercolor, and gold applied to paper, and it belongs to the religious genre, specifically depicting Jainism. The painting was produced in India, as noted in its provenance.
No exhibition record beyond routine display within the museum's Asian art galleries is documented in the available sources.
Overview
This untitled painting, created in Gujarat, India, during the 15th century, employs ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. It depicts a woman seated on a low stool, dressed in a red sari adorned with intricate patterns. She holds a book in one hand and a flower in the other, set against a shimmering gold background. This artwork originally served as an illustration within a Jain manuscript.
Artist & collection
