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

Executed in tempera on paper and mounted as an album leaf, the composition captures a slice of daily life in Japan during the late Edo period.

Shibata Zeshin's 1879 work, Untitled, is a genre scene that depicts a domestic tableau featuring a woman, a child, and a house. Executed in tempera on paper and mounted as an album leaf, the composition captures a slice of daily life in Japan during the late Edo period. The imagery focuses on the interaction between the adult and the child within a residential setting, emphasizing themes of family and domesticity rather than mythological or historical narratives.

As a genre painting, the work's meaning is derived from its representation of ordinary human experience, presenting a quiet, observational view of household life without explicit allegorical symbolism.

Technique & Style

Shibata Zeshin executed this 1879 work using tempera on paper, originally conceived as a fan painting but subsequently mounted as an album leaf. The piece exemplifies the genre scene tradition, depicting a woman, a child, and a house. Zeshin's handling of the tempera medium on a paper support reflects the refined techniques associated with Japanese fan painting, adapting the format into a preserved album leaf.

Stylistically, the work aligns with Zeshin's approach to everyday domestic subjects, capturing a quiet, intimate scene within the structural and compositional constraints of the fan format.

History & Provenance

The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as a fan painting mounted as an album leaf executed in tempera on paper. Created in 1879 in Japan, it entered the museum's holdings as part of its paintings collection. The available records do not document a specific accession number or any prior or subsequent exhibition history for this piece.

Overview

Shibata Zeshin created this untitled tempera painting in 1879, originally as a fan before being mounted as an album leaf. The artwork presents a quiet genre scene, depicting two women and a child in a street lined with traditional wooden houses. The soft, shadowless light suggests a late afternoon, contributing to the work's serene atmosphere and intimate portrayal of daily life.

Artist & collection

Artist

Shibata Zeshin

Japanese, 1807–1891

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art

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