Untitled by Bhadrabahu

Bhadrabahu · 15th century

This is Untitled, an artwork by Bhadrabahu from the 15th century, held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It offers a glimpse into Jainism, a religion emphasizing non-violence and meticulous conduct, which influenced its creation. The painting depicts a monk teaching surrounded by listeners, rendered in ink, watercolor, and gold on paper with crisp lines and flat colors. Notice the scattered gold dots across the sky and the precise gold leaf application. The meticulous execution reflects Jain principles of avoiding harm, even in art. The consistent use of red circles throughout the script is a subtle system to highlight key terms and concepts within the Jain tradition being conveyed.

Transcript

This painting seems to depict a Jain teaching. But look closely at the margins. Red circles mark important words. This system repeats across the page. The text is dense, the marks are subtle. A tiny note sits in the bottom corner. Bhadrabahu created this in 1449.