Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Teisai Hokuba in 1808.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Untitled

Teisai Hokuba , 1808

Untitled is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Teisai Hokuba. It dates from 1808 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1808 by the Edo‑period printmaker Teisai Hokuba, this untitled woodblock work exemplifies the surimono genre, a type of privately commissioned print. Executed with ink and color on paper, the piece is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection and measures roughly the size typical of early nineteenth‑century Japanese prints.

Subject & Meaning

The scene depicts two women within a cultivated garden setting. One figure, dressed in a vivid red skirt and dark green sash, holds a folded fan, while the other, seated on a low chair in a black‑and‑white striped garment, grasps a small handheld object. A distant bridge spans a river, and architectural forms and trees recede in the background, suggesting a leisurely, perhaps poetic, encounter.

Technique & Style

Hokuba employs bold, saturated pigments alongside fluid line work to convey a sense of movement and spatial depth. The composition integrates Japanese poetry inscribed around the image, a common practice in surimono that adds literary resonance. Subtle cross‑hatching in the foliage and architectural elements creates tonal variation, enhancing the illusion of distance.

History & Provenance

The print was produced as a limited‑edition work for a private audience, a hallmark of surimono production in the early nineteenth century. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the twentieth century, where it remains displayed as an example of Edo‑period printmaking and the collaborative relationship between visual art and poetry.