Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A crowded brawl: men on foot and horseback, monkeys swinging through trees, and two bears wrestling at the center. The painter is unknown, but the ink-and-watercolor style was common in India around 1670. The monkeys and bears may be more than decoration, perhaps characters from Hindu stories joining the fight.
Subject & Meaning
The iconography centers on the confrontation between human and animal figures, specifically featuring a man, a monkey, and a bear.
This 1670 Indian painting explores themes rooted in Hindu mythology, depicting a dynamic battle scene. The iconography centers on the confrontation between human and animal figures, specifically featuring a man, a monkey, and a bear. The inclusion of the monkey and bear within a Hindu mythological context strongly suggests a narrative from the Ramayana, where such figures are iconic symbols of the divine alliance assisting the hero Rama.
Consequently, the work represents the broader struggle between good and evil, a core meaning in Hindu epic tradition, while visually celebrating the martial and interspecies cooperation central to the legend.
Technique & Style
Executed in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, this 1670 painting employs the traditional South Asian miniature technique of combining fine linework with flat, saturated color washes. The modest support measures 21.6 cm in height by 16.5 cm in width, a scale consistent with intimate devotional or manuscript-related works produced in India during the period. The opaque watercolor medium allowed the artist to build up dense, vivid passages of pigment, while the ink underdrawing provided precise contour and detail for the densely populated mythological scene depicting a battle involving bears, monkeys, and human figures within a Hindu narrative context.
The handling is characteristic of regional courtly ateliers of the era, with figures rendered in fine detail against minimal background space.
History & Provenance
The work, an anonymous Indian painting dated to 1670, was created using ink and opaque watercolor on paper. It originated in India, as indicated by its stylistic and material characteristics. The painting has been part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, with no documented commission or early ownership history preceding its acquisition by the museum.
Its provenance remains tied to the institution since its inception into their holdings, though specific details of its transfer or prior owners are unrecorded.
Overview
This untitled painting, rendered in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, depicts a dynamic battle scene. The composition is filled with activity, featuring men engaged in combat both on foot and horseback. Amidst the human conflict, monkeys swing from trees, and two bears wrestle prominently in the center, adding a unique dimension to the chaotic tableau. The work reflects artistic trends prevalent in India around 1670.
Artist & collection
- Battle between monkeys and demons, from the “Shangri” Ramayana
Untitled
Scene from the Ramayana
Scene from the Ramayana
Vishnu as Matsya
Durga Killing the Buffalo Demon
Abduction of Rukmini: Krishna Tied the Hands of Rukma, from a Bhagavata Purana
Scene from the Ramayana
Rama and Ravana
Krishna Quells the Serpent Kaliya, from a Bhagavata Purana
Scene from the Ramayana
Scene from the Ramayana
