Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a tempera painting by the Impressionist artist Shibata Zeshin. It dates from 1879 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
This depiction aligns with the bird motif recorded in the source documentation, reflecting a subject common in Japanese painting of the late nineteenth century.
The work portrays a bird rendered in tempera on paper as a fan painting mounted within an album-leaf format. This depiction aligns with the bird motif recorded in the source documentation, reflecting a subject common in Japanese painting of the late nineteenth century.
The piece originates from Japan and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under its full title and the date 1879.
Technique & Style
Untitled (1879) by Shibata Zeshin is a fan painting mounted as an album leaf, executed in tempera on paper. The work depicts a bird and was created in Japan. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified as a painting within the still-life genre.
History & Provenance
Created in 1879 by the Japanese artist Shibata Zeshin, this untitled work was produced in Japan. The piece is a fan painting executed in tempera on paper and mounted as an album leaf, depicting a bird. The artwork is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The available sources do not record an accession number or any exhibition history for the work.
Overview
Created in 1879, this untitled work by Shibata Zeshin is a fan painting mounted as an album leaf, executed in tempera on paper. The composition features two sparrows perched on a slender, leafless branch set against a luminous gold background. Zeshin employs his characteristic lacquer-inspired technique, utilizing quick, assured brushstrokes to render the birds with distinct personality: one tilts its head attentively while the other fluffs its feathers.
The gold leaf ground, a hallmark of Japanese decorative arts, provides a flat, radiant field that emphasizes the delicate forms of the birds without the distraction of atmospheric perspective. Although Zeshin is renowned for his lacquerware, this piece demonstrates his mastery of painting on paper, adapting the visual language of his lacquer work to a more intimate format. The work was produced as a private gift for a friend rather than for public exhibition or commercial sale, reflecting the artist's practice of creating personal works for close associates during his later career.
This piece exemplifies the Meiji-era synthesis of traditional subject matter with refined, decorative execution, showcasing Zeshin's ability to imbue simple natural motifs with vitality and elegance.
Artist & collection
