Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Suzuki Harunobu in 1766.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Untitled

Suzuki Harunobu , 1766

Untitled is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Suzuki Harunobu. It dates from 1766 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1766, this woodblock print by Suzuki Harunobu presents a figure in an elongated robe standing beside an expansive, wing‑spread phoenix.

Created around 1766, this woodblock print by Suzuki Harunobu presents a figure in an elongated robe standing beside an expansive, wing‑spread phoenix. The bird’s plumage is rendered in delicate blues and pinks, while the woman's kimono is covered with minute floral motifs. The work exemplifies early Japanese multicolour printing, offering a vivid visual narrative that blends human presence with mythic symbolism.

Subject & Meaning

The composition juxtaposes a solitary woman with a fenghuang, a legendary bird associated with auspiciousness and renewal in East Asian iconography. By placing the elegant figure beside the soaring creature, the print suggests a harmony between refined courtly culture and the celestial virtues embodied by the phoenix, a motif often linked to imperial authority and seasonal rebirth.

Technique & Style

Harunobu employed a pioneering multicolour woodblock process, arranging separate blocks for each hue and printing them in succession. This layered approach, akin to assembling a puzzle, allowed for subtle gradations of colour and intricate patterning, distinguishing the piece from earlier monochrome or hand‑tinted works. The delicate line work and soft palette are characteristic of Harunobu’s refined aesthetic.

History & Provenance

The print emerges from the mid‑Edo period, a time when ukiyo‑e artists were experimenting with polychrome techniques. While the work remains untitled, its attribution to Harunobu is well‑established through stylistic analysis and surviving publisher records. It has been held in several Japanese private collections before entering public museum holdings in the late twentieth century.