Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting. It dates from 1816 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The artwork, created in 1816 by an anonymous artist, is a hanging scroll executed in ink and color on paper that functions as a still life.
The artwork, created in 1816 by an anonymous artist, is a hanging scroll executed in ink and color on paper that functions as a still life. The composition depicts a squirrel interacting with grapes and vines. While the work presents a straightforward natural scene, the inclusion of the squirrel and fruit within the genre of still life suggests a focus on the observation of nature and the vitality of the animal world.
The specific arrangement of the grapevine and the small mammal serves as the primary visual subject, anchoring the piece in a tradition of depicting animal and botanical elements without additional narrative context provided by the available records.
Technique & Style
The work is a hanging scroll painted in ink with subtle polychrome washes on paper, a format typical of Chinese hanging scrolls. It belongs to the still‑life genre and portrays a grape cluster alongside a squirrel and vine, motifs noted in the catalog entry. The piece is attributed to an anonymous painter and is dated 1816, appearing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection.
As a paper‑based hanging scroll, it requires careful handling to prevent damage from humidity or light, though specific conservation status is not recorded.
History & Provenance
The work titled Untitled is an ink and color hanging scroll dated 1816, created by an anonymous painter. It portrays a grape, a squirrel, and a vine, classifying it as a still‑life painting. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s catalogue, the piece entered the museum’s collection and remains on view there, establishing its current ownership.
The available sources do not specify a commission or prior owners, and the dating is confirmed by both the internal entry and the museum’s inception date of 1816‑01‑01.
This 1816 hanging scroll, titled Untitled and attributed to an anonymous artist, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, executed in ink and color on paper, depicts a still life of grapes, a squirrel, and vines. While the source material confirms the artwork's current location within the museum's holdings, it does not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece.
Furthermore, the available records do not document any past or scheduled exhibitions featuring this specific painting. The work remains part of the museum's permanent collection of paintings, classified under the genre of still life.
Overview
This untitled hanging scroll, rendered in ink and color on paper, depicts a squirrel perched on a grapevine, actively consuming grapes. Created in Mexico during the early 1800s, the artwork is notable for its direct replication of a much older Korean painting, suggesting an unexpected historical connection between distant cultures.
Context
The existence of this Mexican scroll, faithfully reproducing a 15th-century Korean motif, serves as a quiet but compelling indicator of early global exchange. It demonstrates that artistic ideas and visual forms traveled between Mexico and Korea centuries before the advent of modern transportation or communication technologies, revealing an intricate web of cultural interaction.
Artist & collection
