Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Shibata Zeshin in late 19th century.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Untitled

Shibata Zeshin , 1879

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

Created in 1879 by Shibata Zeshin, this work is a landscape composition rendered in tempera on paper.

Created in 1879 by Shibata Zeshin, this work is a landscape composition rendered in tempera on paper. The imagery focuses on a natural scene featuring a bird set against a mountainous backdrop. Originally executed as a fan painting, the piece was subsequently mounted as an album leaf.

The visual elements adhere to traditional landscape genres, presenting a direct depiction of wildlife and topography without additional symbolic layers specified in the available records.

Technique & Style

Executed in tempera on paper, the work takes the form of a fan painting mounted as an album leaf. The composition falls within the landscape genre and depicts a bird and a mountain. Created by Shibata Zeshin in 1879, the piece is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

History & Provenance

Untitled is a fan painting on paper, created in Japan in 1879 using tempera and mounted as an album leaf. The work belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been part of the collection since acquisition. Its subject matter includes a bird and a mountain, motifs that recur in the artist's landscape studies. The piece was produced by Shibata Zeshin, a noted Meiji-era painter, and remains in the museum's custody.

Overview

Shibata Zeshin's Untitled, created in 1879, is a tempera painting on paper. Initially conceived as a fan decoration, it was later mounted as an album leaf. The artwork portrays a tranquil landscape featuring birds perched on a branch above misty mountains.

The gold-flecked paper contributes a subtle luminosity to the scene, highlighting the artist's attention to material and detail.

Context

This piece originated as a painting on a fan, transforming an everyday Japanese object into a work of art. Fans were widely used for various purposes, often adorned with artistic elements. By subsequently mounting this fan painting into an album, its function shifted from a utilitarian item to a collectible artwork, intended for careful viewing and preservation rather than casual handling.

Artist & collection

Artist

Shibata Zeshin

Japanese, 1807–1891

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art

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