Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This modestly sized work depicts a solitary figure dressed in a vivid red turban, standing before an unadorned backdrop.
About this work
The artist used thin layers of opaque watercolor, called glazing, to build up the rich colors without brushstrokes showing.
A man in a red turban stands against a plain background, holding a long staff. His face is calm, eyes looking straight ahead.
This small painting was probably made in northern India around 1800, but no one knows who painted it or who the man is. The artist used thin layers of opaque watercolor, called glazing, to build up the rich colors without brushstrokes showing.
To see more works like this, look up the subject men, india, man in the museum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The painting, dated 1800 and executed in ink with opaque watercolor on paper, portrays a lone male figure.
No distinguishing attributes or symbolic objects accompany the sitter, and the composition offers no narrative cues that would suggest a specific story or moral lesson.
The absence of iconographic detail leaves the work’s meaning ambiguous, reducing it to a straightforward representation of a man without further allegorical or symbolic interpretation.
The piece is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, acquired from an anonymous donor.
Technique & Style
Created in India around 1800, this portrait of a man utilizes ink and opaque watercolor applied to paper. The work measures 12.9 cm in height and 27 cm in width. Stylistically, it functions as a painted representation of a male figure, executed by an anonymous artist. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is located. While the specific inventory or accession number is not provided in the available records, the museum houses this painting by an anonymous artist. The artwork was created in India in 1800 and depicts a man. No specific exhibition history is documented in the provided sources.
Overview
This modestly sized work depicts a solitary figure dressed in a vivid red turban, standing before an unadorned backdrop. He holds a long staff and gazes directly forward with a composed expression. Executed in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, the composition is restrained, focusing attention on the individual’s posture and attire rather than narrative detail.
Artist & collection
- Krishna as a Boy Playing in the Forest
Untitled
Untitled
Untitled
Untitled
Tantric Manuscript, "Sangrahani Sutra"
Krishna with King & Courtiers (Obv); Krishna & Courtiers in Forest Scene (Rev)
Untitled
Untitled
Tantric Manuscript "Sangrahani Sutra"
Tantric Manuscript "Sangrahani Sutra"
Krishna with King & Courtiers (Obv); Krishna & Courtiers in Forest Scene (Rev)
