Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Kano Tanshin (Morimasa) 狩野探信 in 17th–18th century.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Untitled

Kano Tanshin (Morimasa) 狩野探信 , 1685

Untitled is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Kano Tanshin (Morimasa) 狩野探信. It dates from 1685 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Created in 1685, this hanging scroll by Kano Tanshin presents a solitary crane rendered in ink and color on silk.

About this work

Technique & Style

The work is executed as a hanging scroll on silk, employing ink outlines filled with polychrome washes typical of the Kanō school.

The work is executed as a hanging scroll on silk, employing ink outlines filled with polychrome washes typical of the Kanō school. Its support measures approximately 96 cm in height by 40.1 cm in width, a format designed for vertical suspension. The composition belongs to the landscape genre and depicts a single bird, rendered with the vigorous brushstroke and spatial economy characteristic of Kanō Tanshin.

Created in Japan in 1685, the painting is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

History & Provenance

Untitled is a hanging scroll painted in ink and color on silk by Kanō Tanshin (Morimasa) in 1685, in Japan. Classified as a landscape, it depicts a bird and measures 96 cm in height by 40.1 cm in width, reflecting the Edo-period practice of decorative painting on silk. The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, among its Japanese painting holdings. The available sources record no accession number or exhibition history for the piece.

Overview

Created in 1685, this hanging scroll by Kano Tanshin presents a solitary crane rendered in ink and color on silk. The work is unsigned, titled only as Untitled, and measures a modest size typical of Edo‑period scrolls. Its composition is stark, with the bird occupying the central vertical axis against an unadorned background, emphasizing a sense of quiet concentration.

Subject & Meaning

The lone crane, balanced on one leg, serves as the sole subject, embodying notions of poise and longevity in Japanese symbolism. The absence of landscape elements or sky directs attention to the bird’s stillness, inviting contemplation of the creature’s meditative focus and the broader aesthetic of emptiness valued in the period.