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Untitled

Shibata Zeshin

1850

ink

panel

From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art

Romanticism Ukiyo-e Early 19th Century Still Life Grap Leaf Squirrel

Dominant colour

Untitled is a 1850 ink by Shibata Zeshin, a Romanticism work, depicting Grap, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Shibata Zeshin
When & what style?: 1850 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Metropolitan Museum of Art

About this work

This screen shows two panels of black ink on light paper. On the left, a single curved branch holds a few small leaves and a tiny cluster of grapes. The right panel bursts with thick vines, heavy with grapes and large leaves, some curling at the edges. The artist used quick, bold strokes to make the vines look alive, almost moving. The grapes and leaves aren’t drawn in detail—they’re suggested with a few confident lines. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with lines.