Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a gouache painting. It dates from 1383 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The pairing of these two figures carries symbolic weight in its original Gujarati context of 1383.
The painting depicts a buffalo and an infant, situating it within the religious genre. The pairing of these two figures carries symbolic weight in its original Gujarati context of 1383. The infant, a common motif in religious imagery, typically represents divine incarnation or sacred vulnerability, while the buffalo may allude to specific devotional narratives or serve as an auspicious symbol within the regional iconographic tradition.
The work's meaning is conveyed through this deliberate juxtaposition of human and animal figures in opaque watercolor, a medium suited to the detailed, symbolic representation characteristic of religious painting from this period and place.
Technique & Style
The work titled Untitled is an anonymous painting dated 1383, created in Gujarat, India.
It is executed on paper using gouache pigment combined with gold leaf, giving it an opaque watercolor appearance.
The composition portrays a buffalo and an infant within a religious context, rendered in a modest scale of about 8.9 cm by 27.8 cm.
The limited palette and decorative gold accents suggest a devotional function typical of regional manuscript traditions.
The handling of the surface emphasizes flatness and linear outline, characteristic of the style.
The formal qualities reflect a restrained use of color and emphasis on symbolic iconography.
History & Provenance
Created in 1383 in Gujarat, this opaque watercolor and gold painting on paper was produced by an anonymous artist. The work, which depicts a buffalo and an infant, entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held. No specific details regarding its commission or intermediate ownership history prior to its museum acquisition are provided in the available records.
The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its accession number is not specified in available records, but it is classified under the museum's holdings of South Asian art.
As of the provided sources, there is no documented exhibition history for this work. It remains part of the museum's permanent collection, attributed to an anonymous artist from Gujarat and dated to 1383.
Overview
This untitled painting, rendered in opaque watercolor on paper, originates from Gujarat, India, dating to the late 14th century. It depicts a blue-skinned deity seated upon a buffalo, cradling an infant in his arms. The artwork exemplifies the regional artistic conventions of its era, characterized by a distinct palette and form.
Artist & collection
