Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an unspecified painting by the Nihonga artist Shibata Zeshin. It dates from 1837 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The subject aligns with the kachō-ga tradition in Japanese art, which elevates common flora to symbolic significance through refined composition and technique.
The work depicts a still-life arrangement of plants rendered in lacquer on paper, a medium closely associated with Shibata Zeshin's innovative approach to painting. The subject aligns with the kachō-ga tradition in Japanese art, which elevates common flora to symbolic significance through refined composition and technique. Within this genre, plants often carry broader meanings of renewal and the fleeting beauty of nature, though the specific species and their attendant symbolism remain unspecified in the available records.
Technique & Style
The work is an album leaf executed in lacquer on paper, a support characteristic of Japanese decorative arts. Shibata Zeshin renders a single plant in a restrained composition that occupies a narrow rectangular format measuring about 11.4 cm in height and 8.9 cm in width. The piece belongs to the still-life genre and reflects the refined aesthetic of Edo-period lacquer painting. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Untitled is an album leaf in lacquer on paper produced in 1837 by Shibata Zeshin in Japan. The piece belongs to the still-life genre and portrays a plant. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified among the museum's paintings holdings, and measures 11.4 by 8.9 centimeters. No specific accession number, acquisition date, or exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1837, this untitled work by the Japanese artist Shibata Zeshin is executed on an album leaf using lacquer applied to paper. The composition consists of a single morning‑glory vine that winds across the surface, its foliage and buds rendered in a deep, reflective black.
Artist & collection
