Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Shokusanjin (Ōta Nanpo) in ca. 1801–6.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Untitled

Shokusanjin (Ōta Nanpo) , 1804

Untitled is an ink painting by the Romanticist artist Shokusanjin (Ōta Nanpo). It dates from 1804 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Created around 1804, this hanging scroll is attributed to the Japanese artist Shokusanjin.

Accession no.: 1975.268.132
Credit line: The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975

About this work

Subject & Meaning

This hanging scroll, dated 1804 and executed in ink and color on paper by Ōta Nanpo (pen name Shokusanjin), presents a composition of Japanese calligraphy.

This hanging scroll, dated 1804 and executed in ink and color on paper by Ōta Nanpo (pen name Shokusanjin), presents a composition of Japanese calligraphy. The work is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, having been collected in Japan, and its visual program centers on the stylized written character, a traditional form of artistic expression. As a piece of calligraphic art, it exemplifies the aesthetic values of brushstroke and textual form prevalent in the late Edo period.

Technique & Style

Dated 1804, this hanging scroll features calligraphy executed in ink and color on paper. The work is attributed to Ōta Nanpo, the celebrated kyōka poet known by the pen name Shokusanjin. As a hanging scroll, the piece uses a flexible paper support designed for vertical display, combining textual elements with chromatic application typical of Japanese artistic practice of the period.

History & Provenance

Untitled is a hanging scroll executed in ink and color on paper by the Japanese poet and calligrapher Ōta Nanpo, known by the pen name Shokusanjin. The work was produced around 1804 in Japan and is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its medium, classification as a painting, and depiction of calligraphy are recorded in the museum's documentation.

Context

The work titled Untitled, produced around 1804 by Ōta Nanpo (Shokusanjin), is an ink and color hanging scroll on paper classified as a painting and consisting of calligraphy. It was created in Japan and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, a notable example of late Edo period Japanese calligraphic art.

Overview

Created around 1804, this hanging scroll is attributed to the Japanese artist Shokusanjin. Executed in ink and color on cream‑colored paper, the piece consists of a single, flowing black brushstroke that renders the kanji for “longevity.” Small red seals occupy the four corners, each bearing a name that identifies the contributors to the work.