Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Kano Tsunenobu in late 17th–early 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 Tsunenobu , 1690

Untitled is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Kano Tsunenobu. It dates from 1690 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 61.63
Credit line: Purchase, Gifts, Bequests, and Funds from various donors, by exchange, 1961

About this work

Technique & Style

As a hanging scroll, the support is paper, which was a common material for this genre and medium combination in late 17th-century Japan.

Created in 1690, this work by Kano Tsunenobu is executed in ink and color on paper. It functions as one part of a triptych of hanging scrolls, a format typical for Japanese landscape paintings of the period. The piece depicts a man within a landscape setting.

The physical dimensions of the scroll are 78.7 cm in height and 28.9 cm in width. As a hanging scroll, the support is paper, which was a common material for this genre and medium combination in late 17th-century Japan.

History & Provenance

Painted in 1690 by Kano Tsunenobu, this landscape is one panel of a triptych of hanging scrolls executed in ink and color on paper. The work depicts a man and was created in Japan. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Overview

Created in 1690 by Kano Tsunenobu, this hanging scroll forms part of a lost triptych. Executed in ink and color on paper, the work presents a solitary figure set against a stark landscape. The composition captures a brief, contemplative instant within an otherwise larger narrative that has not survived.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure is a man clad in a dark robe, standing on a rugged path and gripping a long staff. Behind him, a contorted pine clings to the cliff face while clouds drift overhead, suggesting a journey through a harsh, perhaps spiritual, terrain. The isolated posture conveys quiet resolve.

Context

Produced during the Genroku era, the work reflects the period’s interest in integrating Chinese-inspired monochrome techniques with Japanese subject matter. The Kano school, dominant in official and aristocratic circles, often used such narrative scrolls for didactic or decorative purposes, situating this piece within a broader tradition of episodic visual storytelling.