Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Tōshūsai Sharaku in 1794.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Untitled?

Untitled is associated with Romanticism.

Untitled by Tōshūsai Sharaku (1794) · Meaning & Museum

About this work

If you like how the light and shadow play here, look up cross-hatching, a technique that builds depth with tiny, crisscrossing lines.

A man in a bright kimono holds a fan, his face half-lit like a stage actor caught mid-performance. The background glows yellow, making his sharp features stand out even more.

Sharaku made these prints for just ten months in 1794, then vanished. No one knows why he stopped, or who he really was. The faces feel exaggerated, almost like caricatures, but the details are precise.

If you like how the light and shadow play here, look up cross-hatching, a technique that builds depth with tiny, crisscrossing lines.

Subject & Meaning

The work depicts the kabuki actor Suketakaya Takasuke II in a portrait format, capturing him as a man holding a hand fan. Created in 1794 by Tōshūsai Sharaku, the print belongs to the yakusha-e genre, which focuses on theatrical figures. The subject is presented against a yellow ground, emphasizing the actor's presence and status within the Edo-period entertainment world.

As a woodblock print, the image serves as a visual record of the performer's specific role and persona.

Technique & Style

Created in 1794, this work is a woodblock print executed with ink and color on paper. It follows the hoso-e format and is distinguished by a yellow ground. The piece belongs to the ukiyo-e tradition, specifically functioning as a nishiki-e and yakusha-e (actor portrait).

Visually, the composition depicts the actor Suketakaya Takasuke II holding a hand fan, focusing on the representation of the male figure within the genre of portraiture.

History & Provenance

Untitled is a woodblock print designed and published in 1794 by the artist Tōshūsai Sharaku, depicting the actor Suketakaya Takasuke II holding a hand fan. The work belongs to Sharaku’s yakusha-e (actor portrait) series produced during his brief but influential period in Edo. According to its current record, the print is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

No earlier owners or commission details are documented in the available sources, and the print’s provenance prior to its acquisition by the Met is not recorded.

Overview

This woodblock print, produced around 1794, presents a solitary figure in a vivid kimono holding a hand fan against a luminous yellow backdrop. The composition captures a moment of theatrical intensity, with the subject’s face illuminated on one side, emphasizing the sharpness of his features. Executed in ink and color on paper, the work exemplifies the hoso-e format favored for its narrow, vertical orientation.