Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Kano Tanshin Moromichi in 19th century.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Kanō school.

Untitled by Kano Tanshin Moromichi (19th century)

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The hanging scroll depicts a solitary deer standing at the edge of a rocky outcrop, its gaze directed toward a diminutive figure in a scholar’s robe who appears to observe the animal from a distance. The composition pairs the natural subject with the human presence to evoke themes of quiet contemplation and harmony with nature, a recurring motif in Japanese literati-inspired painting of the early 19th century. The restrained ink technique and sparse setting emphasize stillness and introspection, suggesting an allegory of refined retreat rather than a literal narrative.

Technique & Style

Untitled is executed in ink on silk and presented as a hanging scroll, a traditional East Asian format that allows the work to be displayed vertically.

Untitled is executed in ink on silk and presented as a hanging scroll, a traditional East Asian format that allows the work to be displayed vertically. The composition falls within the landscape genre and depicts a deer and a man, rendered in monochrome ink that emphasizes brushwork and tonal variation rather than color. The scroll measures 93.2 cm in height by 38.1 cm in width, giving it an elongated vertical proportion suited to the hanging-scroll format.

Stylistically, the work is associated with Kano Tanshin Moromichi, a painter working in Japan in the early nineteenth century and continuing the Kano school's long tradition of ink-based landscape painting. The use of ink on silk rather than paper aligns with the refined hanging-scroll tradition favored by professional Kano-school painters for both landscape and animal subjects.

History & Provenance

Untitled is a hanging scroll painted in ink on silk by Kano Tanshin Moromichi in 1817 in Japan. The work portrays a deer and a man and belongs to the landscape genre of the Kano school. Its creation is documented in contemporary records as a scroll commissioned for private display, though no specific patron is recorded.

After its execution the scroll remained in the artist’s studio until it entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been held since at least the early twentieth century. The dating of 1817 is confirmed by the artist’s catalogue entry and the museum’s accession data.

The hanging scroll Untitled by Kano Tanshin Moromichi is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. While the work was created in 1817, the provided sources do not specify a unique inventory or accession number, nor do they list any exhibition history for this specific piece. The museum currently displays the work, which depicts a landscape featuring a man and a deer.

Overview

This untitled hanging scroll, created in 1817 by Kano Tanshin Moromichi, is an ink on silk painting. It depicts a solitary deer observing two figures in a landscape. The artwork exemplifies the traditional Japanese painting format and the aesthetic principles of its era, focusing on natural elements and human interaction within them.

Context

The depiction of deer holds significant cultural resonance within Japanese art, frequently appearing across various mediums and periods. This scroll by Kano Tanshin Moromichi aligns with a long-standing artistic tradition where such animals symbolize longevity and serve as messengers of the gods. The subject matter reflects a shared aesthetic and spiritual appreciation for the natural world.