Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by the Romanticist artist Chôbunsai Eishi. It dates from 1792 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Created in 1792, this hanging scroll presents a solitary woman rendered in ink and subtle color on paper.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a single woman, presented as a portrait subject. Created by Chōbunsai Eishi in 1792, the painting focuses on the representation of a female figure. As a portrait genre piece, the primary meaning is the depiction of this woman, without additional symbolic elements or narrative context provided in the available records.
Technique & Style
Stylistically, the piece functions as a portrait depicting a single woman, adhering to the genres prevalent in Japanese art of the late eighteenth century.
Created in 1792 by Chōbunsai Eishi, this work is a hanging scroll executed with ink and color on paper. The painting measures 92.7 cm in height and 40 cm in width. Stylistically, the piece functions as a portrait depicting a single woman, adhering to the genres prevalent in Japanese art of the late eighteenth century.
The application of color and ink on the paper support demonstrates the artist's approach to portraiture during this period.
History & Provenance
Created in 1792 by the Japanese artist Chōbunsai Eishi, this hanging scroll depicts a woman rendered in ink and color on paper. It was produced in Japan during the late eighteenth century and measures 92.7 cm in height and 40 cm in width. The work eventually entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is held.
No details of the original commission or intermediate ownership are recorded, nor is any accession number or exhibition history documented in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1792, this hanging scroll presents a solitary woman rendered in ink and subtle color on paper. The composition follows the vertical format typical of Japanese scrolls, allowing the figure to occupy the full height of the piece. The work exemplifies the refined elegance associated with the late‑eighteenth‑century ukiyo‑e tradition.
Context
The piece belongs to the ukiyo‑e movement, which flourished in Edo as a visual record of urban life and popular culture. Eishi’s focus on tall, slender beauties aligns with the period’s taste for idealized feminine forms, while the scroll’s format links it to traditional Japanese hanging paintings used for interior decoration.
Artist & collection
Artist
Chōbunsai Eishi (鳥文斎 栄之; 1756–1829) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist. His last name was Hosoda (細田). His first name was Tokitomi (時富). His common name was Taminosuke (民之丞) and later Yasaburo (弥三郎). Pupil of Kano Eisen'in…
