Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting. It dates from 1733 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work is a portrait from 1733 depicting a man seated on a chair, with a shoe also visible within the composition.
The work is a portrait from 1733 depicting a man seated on a chair, with a shoe also visible within the composition. Created by an anonymous artist using ink and color on silk, the piece functions as a formal representation of an individual, likely intended to capture the sitter's likeness and status. As a hanging scroll, the format suggests a traditional context for displaying such portraits.
The inclusion of specific objects like the chair and shoe alongside the figure serves to ground the subject in a tangible setting, emphasizing the domestic or personal nature of the representation rather than a grand historical or mythological narrative.
Technique & Style
The work is executed as a hanging scroll using ink and polychrome pigments on silk, a traditional support format in Chinese painting. Its medium consists of ink washes combined with subtle color application, producing a portrait that includes a seated man accompanied by a chair and a shoe. The composition follows the portrait genre, emphasizing figure representation within a domestic setting.
The scroll’s format allows for vertical display, reinforcing the emphasis on the figure’s posture and the surrounding objects. No further technical details about preparation or handling are recorded in the available documentation.
Overview
This untitled painting, rendered in ink and color on silk as a hanging scroll, depicts a seated male figure. He is shown in a wooden chair, turned slightly to the side, with one hand resting on his knee and the other holding a fan. His attire includes a long robe and black shoes, presented with a palette of soft reds, blues, and grays.
Context
This painting offers a notable example of cross-cultural artistic exchange, created by an artist working in Mexico but replicating a Korean portrait. Its production occurred during a period when direct trade and cultural contact between Asia and the Americas were infrequent. The artist likely worked from an intermediary source, such as another copy or a print, rather than direct observation of the original Korean artwork or its cultural context.
Artist & collection
明 佚名 人物肖像 圖 鏡面|Portrait of a Gentleman
Portrait of Priest Pyeongwondang
Portrait of Kobo Daishi (Kukai)
Portrait of Kobo Daishi (Kukai)
藤原鎌足像|Fujiwara no Kamatari as a Shinto Deity
Portrait of Priest Sangwoldang Saebong
Fujiwara no Muchimaro
釈迦三尊像|Shaka (Shakyamuni) Triad
鑑真像 (Ganjin zō)|Portrait of Jianzhen
Daruma
Lohan (Immortal)- Untitled
