Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by the Joseon dynasty painting artist Fujiwara no Nobuzane. It dates from 1232 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1232 by Fujiwara no Nobuzane, this work functions as a portrait depicting a male figure.
Created in 1232 by Fujiwara no Nobuzane, this work functions as a portrait depicting a male figure. The subject matter is explicitly linked to the theme of poetry, suggesting the individual portrayed is a poet or that the image serves as a visual representation of poetic practice. As a section originally from a handscroll before being mounted as a hanging scroll, the ink-on-paper composition focuses on capturing the likeness and literary association of the man rather than illustrating a specific narrative scene or complex allegorical symbolism.
Technique & Style
Created in 1232 by Fujiwara no Nobuzane, this work is executed in ink on paper. Although originally produced as a segment of a handscroll, the piece has been remounted as a hanging scroll. The composition functions as a portrait depicting a male figure associated with the theme of poetry.
Stylistically, the work adheres to the conventions of Japanese portraiture from the early thirteenth century, utilizing monochromatic ink to define the subject's features and attire without the application of color.
History & Provenance
Created in 1232 by the Japanese artist Fujiwara no Nobuzane, this work was originally executed as a section of a handscroll before being mounted as a hanging scroll. The piece, rendered in ink on paper, depicts a male figure associated with poetry. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is classified as a painting.
While the specific commission details and intermediate ownership history are not provided in the available records, the work's inception is firmly dated to the early thirteenth century.
The work is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is accessioned as part of the museum’s holdings of Japanese paintings.
It has not been exhibited widely in recent decades; available records do not list any major public exhibitions dedicated to this specific scroll since its acquisition.
Overview
This ink on paper work, titled Untitled, was created by Fujiwara no Nobuzane in 1232. Originally part of a longer handscroll, it has since been reconfigured as a hanging scroll. The piece presents a single male figure, likely a poet, captured in a moment of contemplation. It exemplifies the refined portraiture of the Kamakura period in Japan.
Artist & collection
- Untitled
清原元輔 「為重本 時代不同歌合絵巻」 断簡 |The Poet Kiyohara Motosuke, from the “Tameshige Version” of Thirty-six Poetic Immortals (Tameshige-bon Jidai fudō utawase emaki)
Minamoto no Muneyuki, from the “Fujifusa Version” of Thirty-six Poetic Immortals (Fujifusa-bon Sanjūrokkasen emaki)
Section of an Illustrated Tale of Genji Poetry Contest
Section of an Illustrated Tale of Genji Poetry Contest
Untitled
Portrait
『和歌三神』 柿本人麻呂|Kakinomoto no Hitomaro (ca. 662–710), One of the Three Gods of PoetryFrom the Spring Rain Collection (Harusame shū), vol. 1
Immortal Poet
藤原清忠 「業兼本 時代不同歌合絵巻」 断簡|The Poet Fujiwara Kiyotada, from the “Narikane Version” of Thirty-six Poetic Immortals
Portrait of Sen no Rikyū with his Death Poem
Taira no Kanemori of the Thirty-six Poetic Immortals
