Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Suzuki Harunobu in late 18th century.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Romanticism.

Untitled by Suzuki Harunobu (late 18th century)

Accession no.: JP2449
Credit line: The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The print portrays a couple in a quiet domestic moment, exchanging a kiseru while standing in snow, symbolizing intimacy amid winter's stillness. Silken cotton lies in a tub, reinforcing themes of domestic labor and seasonal contrast. The work functions as a mitate-e, reimagining traditional subjects through contemporary Edo-period sensibilities.

Technique & Style

The medium consists of ink and color applied to a paper support, distinguished by the use of embossing, known as karazuri, to create texture without pigment.

Created in the late 18th century, this work is a woodblock print by Suzuki Harunobu executed in the nishiki-e and bijin-ga genres. The medium consists of ink and color applied to a paper support, distinguished by the use of embossing, known as karazuri, to create texture without pigment. The composition depicts a couple in a snowy setting alongside a tub and a kiseru pipe, with the figure identified as Silken Cotton.

As a mitate-e piece, it employs these specific formal elements to construct a portrait within the ukiyo-e tradition.

Overview

Created in 1783 by the Edo‑period printmaker Suzuki Harunobu, this untitled woodblock portrait presents a domestic scene rendered in ink and color on paper. The composition features a woman in a blue robe engaged in rolling tobacco for a pipe, while a man in a patterned kimono observes, his face partially concealed by a fan.

History & Provenance

The print belongs to Harunobu’s early experiments with karazuri, marking one of the first uses of the embossing process in Japanese woodblock art. It was produced for the commercial market of the late eighteenth century, circulating among urban consumers interested in depictions of contemporary life.

Context

During the 1780s, ukiyo‑e artists increasingly turned to scenes of ordinary urban existence, portraying merchants, artisans, and domestic interiors. Harunobu’s work aligns with this trend, offering a serene glimpse into the private sphere of a couple engaged in a commonplace pastime.