Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1775 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The presence of the rat serves as the traditional mount (vahana) for Ganesha, establishing the work's identity within Hindu religious art.
Created in 1775 by an anonymous Indian artist, this religious work depicts the Hindu deity Ganesha accompanied by a rat (Rattus). The iconography centers on these two figures, rendered in ink and opaque watercolor on paper. The presence of the rat serves as the traditional mount (vahana) for Ganesha, establishing the work's identity within Hindu religious art.
While the specific narrative context or deeper symbolic layers beyond this primary identification are not detailed in the available records, the painting functions as a representation of the elephant-headed god, adhering to established visual conventions for his portrayal alongside his animal companion.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, a support typical of Indian miniature traditions, and is classified as a painting within the religious genre. Its modest dimensions measure roughly 15.1 cm by 11.4 cm, as recorded in the Metropolitan Museum of Art catalogue. The composition portrays the Hindu deity Ganesha alongside the rat deity Rattus, reflecting a syncretic iconography noted in both the internal record and the Wikidata entry.
The piece was created circa 1775 in India and remains in the museum’s collection, though no detailed condition assessment is provided in the available documentation.
History & Provenance
The painting titled Untitled, executed in ink with opaque watercolor on paper, is dated to 1775 and was produced in India by an anonymous artist; its subject matter includes the Hindu deity Ganesha and a Rattus figure, reflecting a religious genre. The work is classified as a painting and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, which records its inception as 1775‑01‑01 and documents its dimensions of 15.1 × 11.4 cm. Its provenance is limited to its current ownership by the museum, with no further ownership chain or commissioning details recorded in the available sources.
The 1775 ink and opaque watercolor painting titled Untitled is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Created in India, the work depicts the deity Ganesha alongside a rat (Rattus). While the piece is classified within the museum's paintings department and measures 15.1 by 11.4 units, the available records do not specify a unique accession or inventory number for this object.
Furthermore, no specific exhibition history or loan records are provided in the current documentation regarding this anonymous religious work.
Context
The work, catalogued as Untitled and attributed to an anonymous Indian painter, dates to 1775 and belongs to the religious genre of paintings, reflecting devotional practices in Indian art of the period; it portrays the Hindu deity Ganesha alongside a rat, a motif linked to Ganesha’s vehicle. Executed in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, the piece measures 15.1 × 11.4 cm and is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is studied as an example of colonial‑era Indian artwork that blends traditional iconography with European material techniques. Scholarship emphasizes its significance as a rare surviving example of anonymous devotional painting from 18th‑century India.
Overview
This untitled painting, executed in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, presents Ganesha, the Hindu deity revered for his role as the remover of obstacles. The god is depicted with his characteristic blue skin, elephant head, four arms, and a prominent potbelly. He is shown seated upon a large rat, an animal often associated with his divine attributes. The artwork employs a vibrant palette and a distinct lack of shadow.
Artist & collection
