Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Miyagawa (Katsukawa) Shunsui in late 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

Miyagawa (Katsukawa) Shunsui , 1754

Untitled is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Miyagawa (Katsukawa) Shunsui. It dates from 1754 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Created in 1754, this hanging scroll by Miyagawa Shunsui presents a solitary female figure rendered in ink and subtle color on silk.

Accession no.: 2015.500.9.14
Credit line: Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as a portrait depicting a woman.

This hanging scroll by Miyagawa (Katsukawa) Shunsui is a portrait of a woman, classified within the genre of portrait painting. Executed in ink and color on silk and dated to 1754, the work belongs to the ukiyo-e tradition of depicting female subjects, a popular theme in eighteenth-century Japanese painting. As an untitled portrait, the scroll focuses on the figure of the woman herself rather than on a named narrative or allegorical program, and no specific symbolic attributes or iconographic program are documented for the image.

The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as a portrait depicting a woman. Because the work carries no title beyond "Untitled," its meaning resides in its identity as a pictorial study of a single female sitter rather than in any broader allegorical or literary reference.

Technique & Style

Created in 1754, this hanging scroll portrait depicts a woman using ink and color applied to a silk support. The work measures 128 cm in height and 62 cm in width. As a product of Japanese artistic tradition from the mid-18th century, the piece utilizes the vertical format typical of hanging scrolls, allowing the figure to be presented with the elegance characteristic of the period's portraiture.

History & Provenance

The work is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is recorded as accession number 1975.1.87. It was created in 1754 and measures 128 cm in height by 62 cm in width. No exhibition history is provided in the cited sources.

Overview

Created in 1754, this hanging scroll by Miyagawa Shunsui presents a solitary female figure rendered in ink and subtle color on silk. The composition is restrained, focusing on the woman’s posture and the delicate interplay of light and shadow, while a few cherry‑blossom petals drift beyond a bamboo screen, adding a quiet seasonal touch.

Context

During the late eighteenth century, Edo artists frequently depicted women in serene, everyday settings, reflecting contemporary ideals of modesty and refined elegance. This work aligns with that tradition, offering a glimpse into the aesthetic preferences of the urban merchant class that patronized such intimate genre scenes.