Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Suzuki Harunobu in ca. 1767.

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 (ca. 1767) · Meaning & Museum

Accession no.: JP868
Credit line: Gift of Estate of Samuel Isham, 1914

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The print shows a man and woman standing close together on a wooden veranda, their heads bent as they whisper to each other.

The print shows a man and woman standing close together on a wooden veranda, their heads bent as they whisper to each other. Between them rests a stone lantern, and the woman holds a folding hand fan (uchiwa). These elements, the intimate gesture, the domestic veranda setting, the lantern, and the fan, together convey a moment of private affection and refined leisure typical of Harunobu’s bijin-ga scenes.

Technique & Style

The work is a polychrome woodblock print (nishiki-e) produced in 1767 by Suzuki Harunobu, executed in ink and color on paper. It belongs to the ukiyo-e tradition and depicts a couple on a veranda engaged in quiet conversation, with a stone lantern and handheld uchiwa fan included in the composition.

The print’s color saturation and fine gradations of tone are typical of Harunobu’s mature style, achieved through multiple carved blocks and delicate bokashi inking. Handling emphasizes soft contours and subtle pattern integration, while the overall condition reflects stable paper support with localized pigment fading common to eighteenth-century Japanese woodblock prints.

History & Provenance

Untitled, a woodblock print from 1767 by Suzuki Harunobu, depicts a couple on a veranda engaged in whispered conversation, holding a hand fan, and surrounded by a stone lantern and uchiwa. The work was created during the ukiyo-e period and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, which holds the original print in its ukiyo-e holdings. No commissioning details or subsequent ownership records are documented in the available sources.

The impression is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is recorded with the accession number JP2557.

It was included in the exhibition The Art of Japanese Prints: Masterworks by Utamaro, Hiroshige, and Hokusai at the same museum, held from 27 March to 10 June 2012.

Overview

Created around 1767, this woodblock print by Suzuki Harunobu presents a brief, intimate scene. A woman in a pink kimono leans toward a companion, their conversation concealed behind an open hand fan, while a stone lantern stands nearby. The composition balances vivid hues with a muted gray sky, characteristic of Harunasu’s early ukiyo-e work.

Context

During the 1760s, the hand fan (uchiwa) functioned as a social prop in Edo society, often used to veil conversations or signal interest. Harunobu’s depiction aligns with contemporary literary and theatrical motifs that explored themes of romance and intrigue.