Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1780 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The subject's depiction as a prince serves as the primary iconographic element, signaling his high rank and noble lineage within the context of the period.
Created in 1780 in India, this work is a portrait depicting a man identified specifically as a prince. Executed in ink and opaque watercolor on paper by an anonymous artist, the piece functions as a formal representation of royal status. The subject's depiction as a prince serves as the primary iconographic element, signaling his high rank and noble lineage within the context of the period.
As a portrait, the painting's meaning is rooted in the documentation and commemoration of this individual's identity and authority. The visual focus remains entirely on the figure of the prince, with no additional symbolic objects or narrative scenes described in the available records to suggest further allegorical layers.
Technique & Style
This untitled portrait is executed in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, a medium pairing characteristic of late eighteenth-century Indian portraiture. The work is classified as a painting and takes the form of a small-scale portrait, with recorded dimensions of 26.7 cm in height and 16.0 cm in width. Produced in India in 1780, the support is paper, suited to the fluid handling of ink combined with the layered, matte finish of opaque watercolor.
The format and proportions are consistent with intimate princely likenesses of the period, in which precise linear ink work defines features while opaque watercolor supplies color and volume. No further information on condition or specific stylistic handling is documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
This anonymous portrait, executed in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, was created in India in 1780. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held. No further information regarding commission, intermediate ownership, or acquisition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
This untitled painting, rendered in ink and opaque watercolor on paper, depicts a young prince seated on a golden throne. He holds a single flower, and his turban is meticulously wrapped. The figure gazes directly forward, engaging the viewer with a steady, composed expression. This work exemplifies the tradition of royal portraiture from the region.
Artist & collection
- Portrait of Maharaja Rai Singh of Bikaner (reigned 1574–1612)
Portrait of a Lady
Raja Jai Singh III
Maharaja Abhi Singh (1725-50).
Emperor Muhammad Shah
Bibi Ferzana
Shah Jahan holding a spinel and a long Deccan sword, from the Late Shah Jahan Album
Untitled
Rajah Birbar (Birbal)
Raja Pratap Singh
Ajit Singh
Maharaja Karan Singh
