Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by Ikkyū Sōjun. It dates from 1482 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The piece exemplifies the ink‑wash style associated with Ikkyū Sōjun, combining spontaneous brushwork with subtle tonal gradations to suggest a misty terrain.
The work is an ink painting on paper executed as a hanging scroll in 1482 in Japan. Its support is a traditional scroll format, and the medium consists of ink applied to paper, characteristic of Muromachi period landscape painting. The piece exemplifies the ink‑wash style associated with Ikkyū Sōjun, combining spontaneous brushwork with subtle tonal gradations to suggest a misty terrain.
Measured at 87 cm in height and 26 cm in width, the composition reflects a minimalist approach typical of the artist’s later works. The scroll is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains part of the museum’s collection of Asian paintings.
History & Provenance
The hanging scroll painting titled Untitled, attributed to the artist Ikkyū Sōjun, was created in Japan in 1482. Executed in ink on paper, the work depicts a landscape genre scene. It measures 87 cm in height and 26 cm in width.
The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is cataloged as accession number 36.100.31.
The hanging scroll Untitled, attributed to Ikkyū Sōjun and dated 1482, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The institution identifies the work with the accession number 36.100.31. Measuring 87 cm in height and 26 cm in width, this ink-on-paper landscape was created in Japan.
The provided records confirm its location within the museum but do not list specific past exhibitions or further provenance details beyond its current holding.
Overview
Created in 1482, this hanging scroll by Ikkyū Sōjun presents a minimalist landscape rendered entirely in ink on paper. The work measures a modest size typical of portable scrolls and is untitled, allowing viewers to approach its quiet scenery without a prescribed narrative.
Subject & Meaning
The composition features a sparse arrangement of trees in the foreground that recede toward distant, stylized mountains. A block of black ink calligraphy occupies part of the surface, suggesting a poetic or philosophical annotation that complements the visual serenity of the scene.
Artist & collection
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