Untitled
1781
ink
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
1781
ink
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
Untitled is a 1781 ink by Torii Kiyonaga, a Romanticism work, depicting servant, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This print shows four people in a room with sliding doors and a tatami mat floor. The woman standing holds a fan and wears a light robe with a dark hat. A man kneels nearby, playing a stringed instrument while another man sits beside him. A servant in the background carries a tray with a bowl and teapot. Notice the thin, precise lines used to show fabric folds and shadows—this is a key part of Japanese woodblock prints. The scene looks calm but busy, with everyday details like the inkwell and brush on the floor. Try looking up cross-hatching to see how artists build depth with lines like these.
