Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Kano Takanobu in ca. 1600.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Kanō school.

Artwork

Untitled

Kano Takanobu , 1600

Untitled is an ink painting by the Kanō school artist Kano Takanobu. It dates from 1600 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The imagery centers on the depicted figures as historical likenesses rather than illustrating a narrative scene or allegory.

Created around 1600 by Kanō Takanobu, this pair of six-panel folding screens functions as formal portraiture. Executed in ink, color, and gold leaf on paper, the screens depict an emperor and a male figure, using the visual language of Japanese portraiture to convey imperial dignity and status. The imagery centers on the depicted figures as historical likenesses rather than illustrating a narrative scene or allegory.

Technique & Style

Kanō Takanobu's Untitled (1600) consists of a pair of six-panel folding screens executed in ink, mineral pigments, and gold leaf on gilded paper. The support, multiple joined sheets of paper laminated to a wooden lattice, enables the screens' expansive format (168.8 cm high by 379.7 cm wide each) while maintaining structural flexibility.

The technique combines precise ink-line drawing with layered mineral colors and extensive gold leaf application, characteristic of the Kanō school's Momoyama-period decorative idiom. Brushwork ranges from fine, calligraphic contours for facial features to broad, gestural sweeps in textile patterns and landscape elements. Gold leaf both unifies the composition and heightens luminosity, reflecting the screens' intended use in palatial interiors.

History & Provenance

The pair of six-panel folding screens is dated to around 1600, in the late Azuchi–Momoyama period, when large-scale screen commissions flourished among the warrior elite and imperial court in Kyoto. Attributed to Kanō Takanobu, the work entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2006 as accession numbers 2006.42.1 and 2006.42.2, where it is catalogued as folding screens depicting an emperor and a man, each measuring 168.8 cm in height by 379.7 cm in width. No specific exhibition history is provided in the available sources.

Overview

This untitled work by Kano Takanobu, created around 1600, comprises a pair of six-panel folding screens. Executed in ink, color, and gold on gilded paper, the paintings present a formal portrait. The subject is identified as Emperor Go-Yōzei, depicted during the period of his reign. This monumental format and rich materials underscore the significance of the imperial subject.