Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Koikawa Harumasa. It dates from 1816 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1816 by the Japanese printmaker Koikawa Harumasa, this woodblock work is an ink and color composition on paper. The piece is part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued without a formal title. Its modest dimensions and restrained palette focus attention on the two figures depicted.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents two women positioned closely, the front figure dressed in a loose green garment with pink sleeves, her hair gathered simply. A second woman leans forward, partially concealed behind a fan that both obscures and suggests a point of contact. The composition conveys a quiet intimacy, the fan acting as a subtle barrier and a shared element between the pair.
Technique & Style
Executed through traditional woodblock printing, the artist employed ink and selective color washes. Fine cross‑hatching lines generate tonal variation and depth, especially in the shadows that model the faces and drapery. The background is rendered in a flat, unadorned field, allowing the delicate rendering of skin tones and the expressive eyes to dominate the visual field.
History & Provenance
Koikawa Harumasa, active in the early nineteenth century, produced this print during the late Edo period, a time when ukiyo‑e prints were widely circulated. The work entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection through acquisition in the twentieth century, though specific details of its earlier ownership remain undocumented.
Artist & collection
