Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Kitagawa Utamaro.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Untitled

Kitagawa Utamaro

Untitled is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Kitagawa Utamaro. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This untitled woodblock print, created by Kitagawa Utamaro in 1813, is a portrait print depicting a woman engaged in a culinary task set against a minimalist background.

Subject & Meaning

The print shows a woman in a blue kimono grating a large white radish (daikon oroshi) over a bowl containing raw fish, likely sashimi. The close-up composition focuses attention on the everyday domestic scene.

Technique & Style

Utamaro employed *baren sujizuri*, a technique of tiny, crisscrossing lines, to achieve the textured appearance of the radish. The print's simplicity and the glowing effect of the food against an empty background are characteristic of Utamaro's late style.

History & Provenance

Created in the final year of Utamaro's life (1813), this print stands out for its innovative close-up depiction of food, a rarity among Edo-period artists.

Context

For comparative examples of how other artists of the time represented everyday meals, see the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, particularly works featuring *sashimi*.