Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1749 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work synthesizes these divine and animal figures to represent a scene of divine presence and mythological narrative typical of the genre.
Created in 1749 in Rajasthan, this anonymous ink and opaque watercolor painting functions as an allegory centered on the Hindu deity Durga. The composition depicts Durga alongside her divine entourage, which includes the gods Shiva and Ganesha. These figures are surrounded by specific animal iconography that reinforces their mythological identities and powers: a tiger, which serves as Durga's traditional mount; an elephant; and a bull, associated with Shiva.
The work synthesizes these divine and animal figures to represent a scene of divine presence and mythological narrative typical of the genre. The inclusion of these specific deities and beasts establishes the painting's subject as a representation of the Hindu pantheon in a unified, allegorical context.
Technique & Style
The artwork is made with ink and opaque watercolor on paper, indicating a paper support for the painting medium. Its composition is allegorical, bringing together the deities Durga, Ganesha, and Shiva with a bull, elephant, and tiger within a single frame. This arrangement creates a dense, symbolic narrative that links divine and animal figures.
The sources do not provide information about the object's current condition, conservation history, or specific handling techniques beyond the described medium.
History & Provenance
Untitled is an anonymous ink and opaque watercolor on paper painting dated to 1749, made in Rajasthan, India. The work depicts Durga, Ganesha, Shiva, a bull, elephant and tiger. Its provenance shows no recorded commission or earlier owners; it entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently housed.
The painting’s creation history remains tied to an unidentified artist working in the mid‑18th‑century Rajasthani court or workshop tradition.
The work is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is catalogued with the accession number 79.20. Currently, no separate museum inventory identifier is cited in the available sources. Its exhibition history is not documented beyond its permanent collection status at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Overview
This untitled painting, rendered in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, presents a densely populated composition. The small-scale work features a lively assembly of various animals, including elephants, bulls, and tigers, alongside figures identified as Hindu gods. The scene is characterized by its busy arrangement, with numerous forms occupying the sheet without a clear narrative or hierarchical structure.
Context
The composition's depiction of deities and animals sharing a common space resonates with themes found in Hindu iconography. Such arrangements are frequently seen in depictions of figures like the goddess Durga, who is often portrayed in conjunction with various animal mounts or surrounded by diverse wildlife. This visual convention underscores the interconnectedness of the divine and the natural world in certain religious traditions.
Artist & collection
