Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 2008.359.50
- Credit line
- Gift of Subhash Kapoor, in memory of his parents, Smt Shashi Kanta and Shree Parshotam Ram Kapoor, 2008
About this work
A tiger leaps onto a wild boar, teeth bared and muscles taut, while a deer bolts away in the background. The unsigned ink drawing comes from western India around 1830, its loose, lively line suggesting a quick study from life. Crosshatched strokes build up the shadows and texture.
Subject & Meaning
Created in Rajasthan around 1830, this ink-on-paper work functions as an allegory centered on the theme of hunting.
Created in Rajasthan around 1830, this ink-on-paper work functions as an allegory centered on the theme of hunting. The composition depicts a dramatic confrontation involving a wild boar (Sus scrofa), a deer, and a tiger. Rather than a simple documentary record of a hunt, the inclusion of these specific animals within an allegorical genre suggests a symbolic narrative, likely exploring themes of power, survival, or the interplay between predator and prey.
The presence of the tiger alongside the boar and deer creates a complex scene where multiple forces of nature collide, representing the untamed wilderness and the inherent dangers of the hunt in Rajasthani imagery.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in ink on paper, with the paper serving as the support for the medium. Classified as a painting and described as an allegory, it depicts a boar, a deer, a hunting scene, and a tiger. The piece dates to 1830 and was made in Rajasthan, and is now held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, measuring approximately 40.6 cm in height and 163.5 cm in width. No information regarding the painting’s handling or current condition is provided in the sources.
History & Provenance
Created in 1830 in Rajasthan, this ink-on-paper work was produced by an anonymous artist. The piece depicts an allegorical hunting scene featuring a tiger, a deer, and a wild boar, and it eventually entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it remains housed. No details regarding its original commission or the intermediate ownership chain between its creation and its acquisition by the museum are recorded, and no accession number or documented exhibition history is provided in the available sources.
Overview
This untitled ink drawing, created around 1830 in western India, captures a dramatic moment of predation in the wild. Rendered on paper, the artwork depicts a tiger attacking a wild boar, while a deer flees in the background. The composition is characterized by its intense energy and dynamic portrayal of animal conflict, reflecting a keen observation of nature.
Artist & collection
- Umed Singh of Kota Hunting Lions
Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Search the Mountain: Leaf 47
Untitled
Plate with the Head of a Horned Devil (Planche au diable cornu)
Umed Singh of Kota Hunting Lions
Studies of a Lion Killing Prey
Amintiri din deltă
Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Search the Mountain: Leaf 46
Untitled
Untitled
Three Hounds on the Chase (from Stodmarsh Court, Kent)
Untitled
