Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1760 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A man in a pink turban sits cross-legged, holding a long silver hookah, his face calm and almost sleepy. Gold details catch the light on his clothes and the pipe. Painted in Rajasthan around 1760 with thin glazed layers of color, the silver still sparkles, untarnished after all this time.
Subject & Meaning
The work is a portrait depicting a man engaged in the act of smoking a hookah.
The work is a portrait depicting a man engaged in the act of smoking a hookah. The composition centers on this single figure and his associated paraphernalia, with the hookah serving as the principal iconographic element alongside the smoker himself. The pairing of man and hookah, rendered in ink, opaque watercolor, and silver on paper, situates the subject within a tradition of courtly and leisurely portraiture associated with India during the mid-eighteenth century, where the hookah carried connotations of refined sociability, contemplation, and elite status.
The use of silver in the medium may further emphasize the prestige and ornamental character of the depicted scene, reinforcing the symbolic association between the sitter and the ritualized pleasures of smoking culture of the period.
Technique & Style
Created in 1760 in India, this anonymous portrait utilizes ink, opaque watercolor, and silver applied to a paper support. The work measures 22.2 cm in height by 27.3 cm in width. Stylistically, the piece functions as a genre portrait depicting a male figure engaged in smoking a hookah.
The inclusion of silver alongside traditional pigments suggests a specific handling of materials intended to create luminous effects within the composition. As a painting classified within the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, the work represents an eighteenth-century approach to portraiture where the combination of media on paper serves to render the subject and his attributes with distinct textural qualities.
History & Provenance
The work is dated to 1760, a creation date recorded in both the museum's cataloguing data and the linked Wikidata entry. It was produced in India, where the anonymous painter executed the portrait in ink, opaque watercolor, and silver on paper. No information is available regarding the identity of the commissioner or the circumstances of its making.
The provenance prior to its acquisition by the Metropolitan Museum of Art is not documented in the available sources, and no intermediate owners, dealers, or earlier collections are recorded. The painting is currently held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, where it is classified as a portrait.
The work Untitled (1760) is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its accession or inventory number is not specified in the available documentation. Exhibition history is not recorded among the sources consulted.
The painting is categorized as a portrait, depicting a man smoking a hookah, and is classified under Paintings, Genre: portrait. Its dimensions are 22.2 cm by 27.3 cm, and it was created in India. The medium consists of ink, opaque watercolor, and silver on paper.
Overview
This untitled painting, created in Rajasthan around 1760, depicts a man seated with a hookah. Rendered in ink, opaque watercolor, and silver on paper, the artwork captures a serene moment. The subject, adorned in a pink turban, holds a long silver pipe, his expression tranquil. Subtle gold accents on his attire and the hookah add to the piece's intricate detail.
Context
This painting belongs to a tradition of Indian art, particularly from Rajasthan, that often portrayed individuals in moments of repose. The depiction of a man smoking a hookah was a recurring motif, reflecting everyday life and leisure activities of the era. Such works, including those from regions like Jhilai, frequently emphasize quiet introspection and the simple pleasures of daily existence.
Artist & collection
