Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting. It dates from 1834 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As an unmounted painting from 19th-century Japan, the subject stands as the primary visual and thematic content of the piece.
The painting depicts a rooster, identified in the record as a chicken, executed in ink on paper. Created by the Hokusai School in 1834, the work presents this single avian subject without additional narrative context or complex iconographic elements described in the available records. The representation focuses on the animal itself rather than a broader symbolic program or allegorical meaning.
As an unmounted painting from 19th-century Japan, the subject stands as the primary visual and thematic content of the piece.
Technique & Style
The work is an unmounted painting rendered in ink on paper, executed in 1834. It measures 27.3 cm in height and 40.6 cm in width.
The composition centers on a rooster depicted in profile, with attention to feather detail and posture. The handling emphasizes fluid, confident brushwork to model form and volume, characteristic of the Hokusai school’s late brush idiom. The ink is applied in varying densities, from delicate washes to concentrated, calligraphic strokes, defining both contour and internal structure.
History & Provenance
Created in 1834, this unmounted ink-on-paper painting originates from Japan and is attributed to the Hokusai School. The work depicts a chicken or rooster and measures 27.3 cm in height by 40.6 cm in width. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Overview
This untitled ink painting, created in 1834 by an artist from the Hokusai School, captures a dynamic scene of poultry. Executed with ink on paper, the work presents a rooster alongside two hens, rendered with an immediacy characteristic of Japanese animal studies from the period. The unmounted nature of the piece suggests it may have been part of a larger collection or intended for a specific display format.
Context
This painting emerges from a period in Japanese art when artists frequently engaged in producing swift, energetic studies of animals. Such works often emphasized direct observation and a dynamic application of ink, moving away from more formalized or static representations. The Hokusai School, known for its diverse output, contributed to this tradition of capturing the vitality of the natural world.
Artist & collection
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