Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1715 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A man in a red coat rides a rearing white horse, gripping a long spear, with a flat desert stretching to distant hills behind. Made in Jodhpur around 1710, it mixes ink and watercolor with gold leaf. The gold reads as power, like sunlight catching armor.
Subject & Meaning
Its composition underscores the cultural significance of horsemanship in the period, using the horse as a visual emblem of prestige and military prowess.
The painting portrays an unidentified male figure mounted on a horse, situating it within the equestrian portrait genre. The rider and steed function as iconographic elements traditionally linked to authority and martial capability, reinforcing the subject's association with power and status. Executed in ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper around 1715 in India, the work was later acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Its composition underscores the cultural significance of horsemanship in the period, using the horse as a visual emblem of prestige and military prowess.
History & Provenance
The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York with no recorded artist or early provenance, where it is catalogued as an anonymous Indian equestrian portrait. The museum records its inception as 1715 and lists its medium as ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper, with dimensions of 30.5 centimetres in height and 21.3 centimetres in width. No commissioning patron, original location of execution, or intervening ownership chain is documented in the available sources.
Overview
This untitled painting, rendered with ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, captures a dynamic equestrian scene. A man in a vibrant red coat is shown astride a white horse, which rears dramatically, its musculature taut. He holds a long spear, poised against a minimalist backdrop of a flat desert extending towards distant hills. The artwork exemplifies the rich tradition of Indian miniature painting.
Technique & Style
The artist employed a combination of ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper to create this work. The incorporation of gold leaf was a deliberate choice, intended to imbue the composition with a luminous quality. This technique allowed for a radiant effect, suggesting the play of light and enhancing the visual richness of the depicted forms.
Artist & collection
