Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Katsushika Hokusai in dated 1790.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Japonisme.

Untitled by Katsushika Hokusai (dated 1790)

About this work

A woman in a blue kimono bends over a low wooden tub, scrubbing clothes while two children play nearby and a small bird watches from a branch. Hokusai painted this early in his career, around 1790. The scene feels like an ordinary neighborhood moment, the ink lines loose and quick but the colors bright.

Technique & Style

The work remains part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is identified as a Japanese painting from the late eighteenth century.

Created in 1790, this work by Katsushika Hokusai is executed as a hanging scroll utilizing ink and color applied directly onto a silk support. The piece falls within the genre scene classification, depicting a composition that includes a woman, a child, and a bird engaged in work. As a painting on silk, the medium allows for the specific rendering of these figures and their environment characteristic of the artist's output during this period.

The work remains part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is identified as a Japanese painting from the late eighteenth century.

History & Provenance

The work Untitled was created in 1790 in Japan as a hanging scroll using ink and color on silk, depicting a bird, a child, and a woman. It is attributed to Katsushika Hokusai. The painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on display.

No documentation of a specific commission exists; the work’s early ownership is not detailed in the available records, but its presence in the museum’s holdings confirms its current provenance.

Untitled (c. 1790) by Katsushika Hokusai is a hanging scroll painted in ink and color on silk. The work is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is listed as part of the museum's holdings. The available documentation records the piece as being created in Japan and dated to 1790, but it does not provide an explicit accession or inventory number. Exhibition records are not detailed in the cited sources.

Overview

This untitled hanging scroll, executed in ink and color on silk, represents an early work by Hokusai. It captures a serene, everyday scene, reflecting a moment of domestic life. The painting's composition and execution suggest an artist exploring his craft, presenting a candid glimpse into a common neighborhood setting with a sense of immediacy.

Subject & Meaning

The artwork depicts a woman in a blue kimono engaged in laundry, bending over a wooden tub. Nearby, two children are absorbed in play, while a small bird observes the scene from a branch above. This intimate tableau conveys a sense of quiet domesticity, portraying a typical, unidealized moment within a local community. The focus on ordinary activities offers a window into daily life.