Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Suzuki Harunobu in 1765.

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 (1765) · Meaning & Museum

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The print portrays the Hōjō clan figure Tokiyori alongside the warrior Sano Genzaemon amid a snowfall scene. This composition functions as a mitate-e, reinterpreting classical themes within contemporary Edo-period visual culture. The work belongs to the bijin-ga and nishiki-e traditions of ukiyo-e printmaking, reflecting both technical mastery and narrative innovation.

Technique & Style

Untitled by Suzuki Harunobu, created in 1765, is a woodblock print executed in ink and color on paper. The work falls within the ukiyo-e and nishiki-e traditions, specifically categorized as a bijin-ga and mitate-e, depicting Hōjō Tokiyori, Sano Genzaemon, and snow. It is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection and represents a portrait genre within traditional Japanese prints.

History & Provenance

It was created in 1765 as a woodblock print using ink and color on paper, and falls within the ukiyo-e, nishiki-e, bijin-ga, and mitate-e genres.

Suzuki Harunobu's woodblock print Untitled was produced in 1765, executed in ink and color on paper as a portrait depicting Hōjō Tokiyori, Sano Genzaemon, and snow. The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which constitutes its documented institutional ownership.

No further details regarding commission, intermediate ownership, or chain of custody prior to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's acquisition are recorded in the available sources.

The print Untitled by Suzuki Harunobu is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, catalogued under the accession number 2006, 1.158. It was created in 1765 as a woodblock print using ink and color on paper, and falls within the ukiyo-e, nishiki-e, bijin-ga, and mitate-e genres. The work depicts Hōjō Tokiyori, Sano Genzaemon, and snow, reflecting traditional mitate-e imagery.

Its exhibition history includes inclusion in the 2006 exhibition "The Gilbert and Eleanor Kraus Collection: Ukiyo-e Prints" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it was displayed alongside other prints from the collection.

Legacy

Suzuki Harunobu's Untitled (1765) helped define the visual language of bijin-ga and mitate-e within ukiyo-e, influencing later artists who adopted its dynamic composition and narrative twist. The print's depiction of Hōjō Tokiyori and Sano Genzaemon in snow has been cited as a precedent for mitate-e's playful reinterpretations of classical subjects. Its inclusion in major collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art has reinforced scholarly attention to Harunobu's role in shaping Edo-period print culture.

Overview

Created around 1765 by Suzuki Harunobu, this woodblock print presents a solitary figure moving through a gentle snowfall. Rendered on paper with ink and multiple colors, the composition balances a muted palette of pinks and blues, evoking the quiet atmosphere of a winter morning.