Untitled

Untitled, an allegorical ink and opaque watercolor painting on paper dated 1715, portrays a man alongside a monkey. The work was produced in India by an anonymous painter, as recorded in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s catalogue entry, which lists the piece in its collection and identifies its inception as 1715‑01‑01. Its dimensions measure 20.3 × 30.8 cm. The painting entered the museum’s holdings, making it part of the institution’s permanent collection. No documentation of a specific commission or subsequent private ownership chain is provided in the available records.

The work is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accessioned as 2023.1. The painting entered the museum as a promised gift in 2023. It was previously exhibited in the exhibition Sovereign: India at the Dawn of a New Artistic Age held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, from May 21 to August 13, 2023.

This untitled painting, executed with ink and opaque watercolor on paper, originates from the Punjab Hills region of northern India. It depicts a seated figure in a red coat, restraining a monkey with a leash. The monkey gestures towards a small bird perched on a branch, set against a vibrant background of greens and blues. This work exemplifies the small, colorful paintings often created for royal patrons in the area.

This painting emerged from the artistic traditions of the Punjab Hills in northern India, a region renowned for its distinctive schools of miniature painting. Artists there commonly created intimate, richly colored works for the local royal courts and aristocratic patrons. These commissions often served to illustrate literary texts, record court life, or convey symbolic narratives, reflecting the refined tastes of their princely audiences.