Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Kano Shōun. It dates from 1649 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 14.140.17
- Credit line
- Gift of Estate of Samuel Isham, 1914
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays a lone poet set within a natural landscape, linking the figure to the tradition of scholarly retreat in Japanese painting.
The work portrays a lone poet set within a natural landscape, linking the figure to the tradition of scholarly retreat in Japanese painting. By placing a literary figure in an outdoor setting, the composition suggests the intertwining of poetry and nature, a common motif in Edo‑period art that conveys contemplation and moral virtue. The painting, dated 1649 and housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exemplifies the genre of landscape painting through its unmounted shikishi format and use of ink and color on silk.
Technique & Style
The work is an unmounted shikisi leaf executed in ink and color on silk, a format associated with album-style leaf paintings in Japanese tradition. Classified as a painting, the piece takes the form of a landscape composition that depicts a man and a poet, aligning its subject matter with the lyrical, literary character typical of Kano-school imagery. The use of silk as a support, combined with polychrome ink, allows for both fine linear definition and tonal washes suited to figural and landscape elements.
Dated to 1649 and held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the work reflects the technical conventions of mid-seventeenth-century Kano painting, where mounted and unmounted silk leaves were produced for albums or albums of poetry and painting.
History & Provenance
Untitled is a 1649 painting by Kano Shōun, executed as an unmounted shikisi leaf in ink and color on silk and classified as a landscape depicting a man and a poet. The work was created in Japan and bears the inception date 1649‑01‑01. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which lists the artist as Kanō Shōun and records the piece in its holdings. The painting remains part of the museum's permanent collection.
Overview
This untitled work by Kano Shōun, created in 1649, is an ink and color painting on silk, presented on an unmounted shikishi leaf. The composition centers on a solitary figure, a poet, engaged in writing amidst a tranquil natural setting. As a painting, it exemplifies the refined aesthetic often associated with the Kano school during the Edo period, offering a glimpse into personal artistic expression.
Context
This painting was likely conceived as a personal offering, intended for a close friend who was also a poet. Such a gesture underscores the private and informal aspects of artistic exchange during the Edo period. The subject matter, depicting a poet in contemplation, would have resonated deeply with its intended recipient, fostering a connection between artist and friend through shared appreciation for poetry and art.
Artist & collection
