Artwork
Untitled

Untitled is an ink painting by the Japonisme artist Katsushika Hokusai. It dates from 1810 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1810 by Katsushika Hokusai, the image captures a specific moment of inebriation, focusing on the physical and behavioral state of the subject.
The work depicts a man experiencing alcohol intoxication, rendered as a genre scene on a fan mounted as a hanging scroll. Created in 1810 by Katsushika Hokusai, the image captures a specific moment of inebriation, focusing on the physical and behavioral state of the subject. As a genre painting, it represents a slice of everyday life rather than a mythological or historical narrative.
The subject matter highlights the artist's interest in human conditions and common activities within Edo-period Japan. The depiction serves as an observation of social behavior, illustrating the effects of alcohol on an individual through the visual language of ink and color on paper.
Technique & Style
Created in 1810, this work by Katsushika Hokusai is executed in ink and color on paper. The support consists of a fan that has been mounted as a hanging scroll, a format that transforms the original object into a vertical display piece. Stylistically, the piece functions as a genre scene depicting a man experiencing alcohol intoxication.
The handling of ink and pigment captures the specific narrative moment of inebriation within the Japanese artistic tradition. The work remains part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, preserving its original materials and structural composition as a painted fan mounted for vertical hanging.
History & Provenance
Created by Katsushika Hokusai in 1810 in Japan, this work originated as a fan painted with ink and color on paper before being mounted as a hanging scroll. The piece, which depicts a man experiencing alcohol intoxication, is currently held within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While the specific commission details and the immediate chain of ownership prior to its museum acquisition are not detailed in the available records, the work's inception is firmly dated to the beginning of 1810.
Its transformation from a handheld fan format into a vertical hanging scroll represents a significant shift in its physical presentation and display history, preserving the genre scene for later viewing.
The work titled Untitled (1810) by Katsushika Hokusai is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is listed as part of the museum's collection of paintings. The source records the piece as a fan mounted as a hanging scroll, ink and color on paper, depicting a man in a state of alcohol intoxication. No accession or catalogue number is provided in the available documentation, and the sources do not reference any exhibition history for this work.
Overview
Katsushika Hokusai's Untitled, created around 1810, is a small painting executed with ink and color on paper. Originally a fan, it was later transformed into a hanging scroll. The work captures a genre scene, specifically depicting a moment of alcohol intoxication with a distinct sense of humor.
Context
Initially conceived as a painting for a fan, the artwork's small scale and intimate subject matter were well-suited to this format before its later remounting as a hanging scroll. The portrayal of ordinary life, such as this humorous depiction of a common human experience, aligns with the broader tradition of genre scenes found in Japanese prints of the era.
Artist & collection
Artist
Katsushika Hokusai spent his life in Edo, now Tokyo, where he drew and carved prints for a living.


















