Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Seki Shūkō in ca. 1890–92.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Impressionism.

Untitled by Seki Shūkō (ca. 1890–92) · Meaning & Museum

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Seki Shūkō's Untitled is a still-life album leaf devoted to the depiction of fish.

Seki Shūkō's Untitled is a still-life album leaf devoted to the depiction of fish. Executed on silk in 1891, the work belongs to a Japanese pictorial tradition in which fish functioned as more than culinary or naturalistic subjects, carrying layered associations with seasonal abundance, prosperity, and the bounty of water. As an album leaf, it was likely intended for contemplative viewing rather than large-scale display, inviting close examination of the subject's form and surface.

The choice of fish as the sole motif concentrates attention on the creature itself, a recurring focus in late nineteenth-century Japanese painting that linked observation of nature with symbolic resonance.

The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Technique & Style

Created in 1891 by Seki Shūkō, this work is an album leaf executed on silk. The piece functions as a still-life painting that depicts fish, adhering to traditional Japanese artistic practices. Physically, the artwork measures 34.6 cm in height and 27.3 cm in width.

The medium consists of paint applied to a silk support, a material choice characteristic of the genre and period. The handling results in a formal composition focused on the natural subject matter, with the silk surface providing a specific texture and luminosity distinct from paper or canvas.

History & Provenance

Created in 1891, this album leaf was painted by Seki Shūkō in Japan. The work is executed in ink and color on silk, depicting fish in a still-life composition. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it serves as a representative example of the artist's output from the late nineteenth century.

The work Untitled (1891) is an album leaf painting on silk, created by Seki Shūkō in Japan and depicting a fish. Measuring 34.6 cm by 27.3 cm, it belongs to the still_life genre and is classified as a painting. The piece is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is listed among the museum’s Japanese paintings. No additional provenance details or exhibition history are recorded in the sources consulted.

Overview

Created around 1891, this small album leaf by the Japanese artist Seki Shūkō presents a quiet still‑life scene. Rendered on silk rather than a stretched canvas, the work measures only a few centimeters and focuses on two fish rendered in delicate ink.