Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by the Baroque artist Torii Kiyomasu II. It dates from 1748 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1748, this woodblock print in the urushi-e technique is attributed to Torii Kiyomasu II. The work is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It presents a dynamic, narrative scene rendered in vivid browns and golds, characteristic of mid‑eighteenth‑century Edo‑period commercial prints.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a large, ferocious figure resembling a monkey, brandishing a club and poised in a violent gesture. A smaller, robed figure clings to a nearby tree branch, expression conveying fear. The juxtaposition of the threatening creature and the trembling human suggests a moment of comic or theatrical tension, possibly alluding to a popular story of a performer in disguise.
Technique & Style
Executed as an urushi-e woodblock print, the image employs lacquer-like pigments that give the surface a glossy sheen. Bold outlines define the muscular form of the monster, while exaggerated facial features—large eyes and wild hair—enhance its caricatured intensity. The limited palette of earthy browns and metallic golds heightens the sense of movement and drama.
History & Provenance
The print was produced in the late Edo period, a time when the Torii school supplied imagery for kabuki theatre and popular literature. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection through acquisition in the twentieth century, though the exact path of ownership prior to that remains undocumented.
Context
Torii Kiyomasu II worked within a workshop that specialized in promotional prints for actors and theatrical productions. The scene’s theatrical overtones and the possible reference to a disguised performer align with the school’s focus on dramatizing popular narratives for a broad urban audience.
Artist & collection
Artist
Torii Kiyomasu II spent his life making bold, eye-catching prints to draw crowds to kabuki shows in Tokyo.
