Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a distemper painting. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Executed in distemper and gold on blue silk, the composition relies on the direct confrontation between these two figures to convey its meaning.
Created around 1650 by an anonymous artist, this religious work presents a stark juxtaposition of a deity and a skeleton. Executed in distemper and gold on blue silk, the composition relies on the direct confrontation between these two figures to convey its meaning. The presence of the skeleton alongside a divine figure serves as a potent memento mori, a traditional iconographic motif reminding viewers of the inevitability of death.
By placing the skeletal representation of mortality in the same visual field as a deity, the painting likely explores themes of divine judgment, the transience of earthly life, and the spiritual consequences that await after death. The use of gold and the specific medium elevate the subject matter, framing this meditation on mortality within a sacred context typical of 17th-century religious art.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in distemper with gold on a blue silk support, a technique consistent with mid-seventeenth-century religious painting traditions. The use of gold against a blue silk ground suggests careful material selection intended to produce a luminous, devotional surface. Its classification as a painting and its religious genre, depicting a deity alongside a skeleton, reflect formal choices aligned with iconographic rather than naturalistic aims.
Beyond these cataloged attributes of medium and support, no additional information regarding handling, condition, or stylistic qualities is documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The work, titled Untitled, was created in 1650 by an anonymous artist. Executed in distemper with gold leaf on blue silk, the piece depicts a deity and a skeleton, reflecting its religious genre. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is cataloged as accession number 2006.105.
The specific commissioning circumstances and the detailed ownership chain prior to its acquisition by the museum are not documented in the available records. The work's creation date is firmly established as January 1, 1650, marking its inception in the mid-seventeenth century.
The work titled Untitled is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The museum assigned it the accession number 2006.105. Created in 1650 by an anonymous artist, the piece is classified as a painting executed in distemper and gold on blue silk.
While the provided records confirm its current location and inventory number, they do not list specific exhibition histories or past display events for this object.
Overview
This untitled Tibetan Buddhist painting, created in the 1600s, depicts three skeletons engaged in a circular dance. Executed in distemper and gold on blue silk, the artwork serves as a visual meditation. Its composition, featuring skeletal figures rendered in white and gold against a deep blue ground, encapsulates a specific spiritual message within its cultural context, reflecting traditional artistic practices of the period.
Artist & collection
- Painted Banner (Thangka) with Guru Dragpur or Vajrakila, a Wrathful Form of Guru Padmasambhava
Mahakala and Companions
Untitled
Painted Banner (Thangka) with Guru Dragpur, a Wrathful Form of Padmasambhava
Mahakala Panjarnata (Lord of the Pavilion)
Untitled
Untitled
Untitled
Mahakala Panjarnata (Lord of the Pavilion)
Bon Deity Trowo Tsochog Khagying
Untitled
Khadgayogini