Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Katsukawa Shunshō. It dates from 1759 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a work classified within the portrait genre, the composition focuses on these two specific figures rendered in ink and color on silk.
Created in 1759 by Katsukawa Shunshō, this hanging scroll portrays a solitary woman accompanied by a butterfly. As a work classified within the portrait genre, the composition focuses on these two specific figures rendered in ink and color on silk. The juxtaposition of the female subject and the insect evokes traditional Japanese artistic conventions where such pairings often allude to themes of transformation, the soul, or fleeting beauty, though the specific meaning intended by Shunshō for this untitled work remains implicit within the visual representation.
Technique & Style
Katsukawa Shunshō's Untitled (1759) is executed as a hanging scroll, employing ink and mineral pigments on silk, a support typical of Japanese painting traditions. The vertical format measures approximately 103.5 cm in height and 31.8 cm in width. The technique combines delicate linework in ink with layered polychrome washes, characteristic of ukiyo-e portraiture, to render the female figure and butterfly with refined precision.
Stylistically, the work exhibits the graceful contours, subtle gradations of color, and restrained elegance associated with Shunshō's mature period, balancing naturalistic detail with decorative flatness.
History & Provenance
The work Untitled was created in 1759 in Japan by the ukiyo-e painter Katsukawa Shunshō. Executed as a hanging scroll in ink and color on silk, it portrays a butterfly alongside a woman. The piece entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been catalogued.
Its attribution to Shunshō is documented in both scholarly catalogues and the museum's records, and its dimensions (103.5 cm × 31.8 cm) are noted in the institution's metadata. No evidence of prior private ownership or commission is recorded.
Overview
This hanging scroll, an untitled work by Katsukawa Shunshō from 1759, features a woman amidst pink blossoms. Rendered with ink and color on silk, the painting captures a serene moment. The artist, known for his depictions of the floating world, here presents a more intimate scene, where two butterflies hover delicately near the central figure. This piece exemplifies the refined aesthetic of Japanese painting during the Edo period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Katsukawa Shunshō spent his life in Edo (now Tokyo), where the city’s teahouses and theaters buzzed with energy.
