Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Tawaraya Sōtatsu|Takeuchi Toshiharu. It dates from 1634 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1634, this small hanging scroll by Tawaraya Sōtatsu presents a scene in which two robed figures guide a white horse beneath a gold‑leaf background. Though the work measures only about the size of a postcard, the expansive gold field gives the composition a sense of breadth beyond its physical dimensions.
Subject & Meaning
The image centers on a white horse being led by two men dressed in vivid robes, a motif that aligns with religious iconography of the period. The simplicity of the figures and the animal suggests a narrative of guidance or pilgrimage, resonating with contemporary devotional themes.
Technique & Style
Executed on paper using ink, color, and gold, the piece employs a deliberately flat, cut‑out aesthetic. Sōtatsu omits chiaroscuro, allowing the forms to appear as silhouettes against the shimmering gold, a visual language reminiscent of traditional Japanese screen painting.
History & Provenance
Attributed to the early Edo‑period artist Tawaraya Sōtatsu, the work reflects his involvement in the Rinpa school’s decorative tradition. While the exact ownership trail is unclear, the piece exemplifies the artist’s practice of mounting poems on shikishi cards and presenting them as hanging scrolls.
Artist & collection
Artist
Tawaraya Sōtatsu|Takeuchi Toshiharu
Tawaraya Sōtatsu and Takeuchi Toshiharu made bold, gold-speckled poem cards mounted as hanging scrolls around 1634.
