Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1090 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The use of a palm leaf support suggests it may have originally formed part of a manuscript, where such iconography would accompany sacred texts.
Created in India around 1090, this opaque watercolor on a palm leaf functions as a piece of religious art dedicated to Buddhism. While the specific narrative scene or individual figures are not detailed in the available records, the work's primary subject is explicitly identified as Buddhism. Its classification within the religious genre indicates that the imagery serves a devotional or doctrinal purpose, likely illustrating concepts, deities, or stories central to the Buddhist faith.
The use of a palm leaf support suggests it may have originally formed part of a manuscript, where such iconography would accompany sacred texts. As an anonymous work, the meaning is derived entirely from its religious categorization and its depiction of Buddhist themes rather than a known artist's specific interpretation.
Technique & Style
The work Untitled, dated to 1090, is executed in opaque watercolor applied to a palm leaf support, a medium typical of early Indian Buddhist manuscript painting. The palm leaf functions as a durable, portable substrate, allowing the artist to render fine linear contours and muted washes characteristic of the genre. The painting measures roughly 5.7 cm in height by 57 cm in width, as recorded in the Metropolitan Museum of Art catalogue.
Its composition depicts a Buddhist narrative in a restrained, symbolic style, employing limited palette and flattened spatial depth. The artist remains anonymous, and the condition of the leaf is stable, though the precise state of preservation is not documented.
History & Provenance
The work titled Untitled is an anonymous Buddhist painting executed in India around 1090. It is rendered in opaque watercolor on a palm leaf and classified as a religious painting. The piece was created by an unidentified artist, likely as a devotional work with no documented commission.
After its execution, the painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it remains on view; its accession number is 55.121.36.17. The museum’s records indicate an inception date of 1090-01-01 and record the work’s dimensions and provenance as part of its permanent holdings.
The work titled Untitled, an anonymous religious painting from circa 1090, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its specific inventory record is designated by the accession number 55.121.36.17. Created on palm leaf using opaque watercolor, the piece originates from India and depicts Buddhist themes.
The source material confirms the museum's custody and the specific catalog identifier but does not provide details regarding a chronological exhibition history or prior loan records for this specific object.
Overview
This untitled painting is an example of an illuminated manuscript page, crafted from a palm leaf. Dating back nearly a millennium, it originated in Bengal and features miniature seated figures adorned in red and gold robes. Such leaves were integral components of Buddhist texts, typically bound together to form complete books, offering both visual and textual narratives.
Artist & collection
Untitled
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Text, Folio 14 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
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Text, Folio 42 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 107 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
