1685
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
Untitled is a 1685 ink by Sugimura Jihei Masataka, a Baroque work, depicting Samurai, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This black-and-white print shows two figures in dramatic poses. The person on the left sits on a stool, holding a sword and a candle, with a fan and a small tray beside them. Their clothes are covered in swirling patterns. The person on the right kneels, also holding a sword, with their back turned slightly. Both wear tall hats and elaborate robes decorated with flowers and leaves. The artist used thick, bold lines to create depth and movement, even without color. Notice how the shadows and textures make the figures look almost three-dimensional. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shading with lines.
Sugimura Jihei spent his short life in Edo, today’s Tokyo, making bold prints of kabuki actors and courtesans.
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