Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a paint painting by the Nihonga artist Matsumura Keibun. It dates from 1811 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Painted by Matsumura Keibun in 1811, the composition focuses on the interaction between these two elements, rendered in color on paper.
The work depicts a naturalistic scene featuring an insect and a plant, categorized within the still-life genre. Painted by Matsumura Keibun in 1811, the composition focuses on the interaction between these two elements, rendered in color on paper. As a hanging scroll created in Japan, the piece presents a direct observation of nature without additional narrative context or complex allegorical layers described in the available records.
Technique & Style
Created in 1811, this hanging scroll by Matsumura Keibun features a still-life composition executed in color on paper. The work measures 80.3 cm in height and 32.1 cm in width. Visually, the painting depicts botanical elements alongside insects, adhering to the artist's focus on naturalistic subjects within the Japanese tradition. The support consists of paper mounted in a format designed for vertical display.
History & Provenance
Untitled is a hanging scroll painted in color on paper by Matsumura Keibun in 1811 in Japan. The work portrays an insect and a plant, fitting the still‑life genre. It was created during the early nineteenth century and measures 80.3 cm in height by 32.1 cm in width.
The piece entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view. No earlier ownership information is provided in the available documentation.
The painting Untitled by Matsumura Keibun is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. No accession number is recorded in the documentation consulted. The work has not been listed in any published exhibition catalogues or major museum loan records available from the sources.
Its dimensions are noted as 80.3 cm in height and 32.1 cm in width, matching the measurements provided for the hanging scroll. The piece is classified as a still‑life painting depicting an insect and a plant.
Overview
Created in 1811, this hanging scroll by Matsumura Keibun presents a meticulous still life of insects and foliage rendered in color on paper. The composition centers on a grasshopper clinging to a slender stalk with its wings folded tightly, accompanied by a nearby cricket displaying alert antennae. Surrounding these subjects are delicate leaves and stems painted in soft greens and earthy browns, creating a balanced arrangement that emphasizes the natural world's quiet intricacy.
Executed during the Edo period when Japan maintained a policy of national isolation, the work exemplifies Keibun's role as a leading figure in the Nanga (Southern Painting) school in Kyoto. Rather than adhering to rigid academic conventions, Keibun applied the literati tradition to close observation of nature, capturing the specific textures and postures of small creatures with sharp focus and refined brushwork. This piece reflects his broader artistic practice of elevating everyday natural subjects through a lens of scholarly appreciation and technical precision, bridging the gap between traditional ink painting and detailed naturalism.
Context
Matsumura Keibun was active in Kyoto during a period when Japan maintained strict isolation from the outside world. Within this cultural environment, artists often turned their focus inward, exploring indigenous subjects with great detail. The depiction of insects, like those seen here, was a recurring motif in Japanese art, frequently used to evoke the changing seasons or to symbolize the transient beauty of life.
Artist & collection
