Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Unidentified artists|Utagawa Hirosada|Utagawa Kunimasu|Kunishige. It dates from 1852 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Created around 1852, this woodblock diptych is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1852, this woodblock diptych is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection. The work consists of two hinged panels that together form a single composition. Though the artist remains unknown, the piece exemplifies mid‑nineteenth‑century Japanese printmaking and offers a glimpse into contemporary visual culture.
Subject & Meaning
The left panel portrays a woman dressed in a vivid red kimono with floral motifs; her hair is styled in an updo, accented by blossoms and a pink bow, and she holds a white flower. Opposite her, the right panel shows a man in a black kimono, his hair tied back in a ponytail, grasping a sword. The juxtaposition of the two figures suggests a narrative of gendered roles or a ceremonial pairing.
Technique & Style
Executed as a woodblock print, the image relies on carved blocks to apply ink to paper, allowing for bold color fields and fine line work. The background features a smooth gradient of blue and green, while Japanese characters occupy the upper corners of each panel. The overall aesthetic reflects traditional ukiyo‑e conventions, with stylized figures and decorative patterns typical of the period.
History & Provenance
The diptych entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the early twentieth century, though precise details of its purchase are not recorded publicly. Its dating to the early 1850s places it within the late Edo period, a time when woodblock printing flourished and began to reach international audiences.
Artist & collection
Artist
Unidentified artists|Utagawa Hirosada|Utagawa Kunimasu|Kunishige
|Japanese, active 1825–75|Japanese, active 1830–52|Japanese
Untitled
玉柳亭重春画 三代目尾上菊五郎・三代目中村歌右衛門 『義経千本桜』|Kabuki Actors Onoe Kikugorō III as Shizuka Gozen and Nakamura Utaemon III as Kitsune Tadanobu, in the play Yoshitsune senbon zakura (The Thousand Cherry Trees of Yoshitsune)
春好斎北洲画 初代浅尾勇次郎・初代市川鰕十郎 『傾城佐野の船橋』|Kabuki Actors Asao Yūjirō as Sano Genzaemon and Ichikawa Ebijūrō I as Miura Arajirō, in the play Keisei Sano no Funabashi
「仙素道人」五代目市川海老蔵 「児雷也」初代実川延三郎|Ichikawa Ebizō V as Senso Dōjin (right); Jitsukawa Ensaburō as Jiraiya (left)
「忠孝復讐傳 磯貝藤助」二代目嵐璃珏|The Actor Arashi Rikaku II as Isogai Tōsuke, from the series Lives of Men who Carried Out Revenge for Loyalty or Filial Piety
Untitled
Untitled
Untitled
戯画堂芦幸画 二代目嵐橘三郎 「ひらかな盛衰記」|Kabuki Actor Arashi Kitsusaburō II as Kajiwara Heiji, in the play Hiragana seisuiki (Records of the Battles between the Minamoto and Taira Clans in the Japanese Syllabary)
「湯灌場子僧吉三 市川竹之丞」（五代目） 「近世水滸伝」|Ichimura Takenojō V as Yukanba Kozō Kichiza, from A Modern Water Margin (Kinsei suikoden)
「大判事清澄 坂東三津五郎」（三代）・「久我之助 嵐小六」（四代）|Bandō Mitsugorō III as Daihanji Kiyozumi and Arashi Koroku IV as Koganosuke
Untitled