Sujata

ca. 1948
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
This is among the earliest works by Srimati that allude to the sixth-century Buddhist murals at Ajanta. The sensuous figure-type and dark complexion directly reference Ajanta prototypes, as does the textile design of the woman’s waist skirt. The artist identified the subject as Sujata, the young woman who in the Buddha’s life story offered milk and rice to the fasting ascetic Shakyamuni. This experience alerted the Buddha to the efficacy of the middle path—namely, that neither overindulgence nor excessive self-mortification is conducive to enlightenment and the release of the soul.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Sujata
  • Artist: Y. G. Srimati (Indian, 1926–2007)
  • Date: ca. 1948
  • Culture: India (Chennai)
  • Medium: Watercolor on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 20 × 13 in. (50.8 × 33 cm)
    Mat: 22 × 28 in. (55.9 × 71.1 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Lent by Michael Pellettieri
  • Rights and Reproduction: © M. Pellettieri
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art