Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a paint painting. It dates from 1849 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1849 in China, this untitled work by an anonymous artist depicts a genre scene centered on the industrial sector.
Created in 1849 in China, this untitled work by an anonymous artist depicts a genre scene centered on the industrial sector. The composition features a man, a woman, and a child engaged in or situated near work activities. As a color painting on pith paper, the piece serves as a visual record of labor and family presence within an industrial context of mid-nineteenth-century China.
The inclusion of these specific figures suggests a focus on the human element of production during this era. The work represents the intersection of domestic life and industrial labor, capturing a snapshot of societal roles without explicit symbolic allegory beyond the literal depiction of the subjects at work.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in opaque watercolor applied to pith paper, a lightweight support commonly used in nineteenth-century Chinese export painting. Handling is precise and linear, with flat tints and minimal modeling; figures and machinery are outlined in careful, repeated strokes. Stylistically, the composition favors a documentary clarity, arranging workers, men, women, and a child, within a textile mill or similar industrial setting.
The palette is restrained, relying on muted greens, ochers, and blues to render interior spaces and machinery, while faces and hands receive delicate highlights. Condition appears stable, with only minor planar creases visible along the album’s twelve leaves.
History & Provenance
The work, dated to 1849, is an album of twelve leaves executed in color on pith paper. Created in China by an anonymous artist, the piece depicts scenes of industrial labor involving men, women, and children. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The specific commissioning history and the detailed chain of ownership prior to its arrival at the museum are not recorded in the available documentation. The work remains attributed to an unknown painter, with its creation firmly situated in the mid-nineteenth century within the context of Chinese genre painting.
The painting Untitled (1849) is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, listed under the museum's holdings. Its accession number is not disclosed in the available documentation. The work was created in China in 1849 and is classified as a painting depicting a child, industrial sector, man, woman, and work.
It is catalogued as a genre scene within the museum's Paintings department. No exhibition history is recorded in the sources consulted.
Overview
This untitled artwork is an album comprising twelve distinct paintings. Rendered with color on pith paper, the collection visually documents various facets of human activity and daily life. Each leaf contributes to a broader portrayal of societal routines, offering a comprehensive glimpse into the existence of individuals across different demographics within a specific historical context.
Artist & collection
- Soaking the Cocoons
Drawing Silk Filaments
Rinsing silk threads in river
Mai Jiang
Gathering 'Jingsang' Mulberry Leaves
『過去現在絵因果経』 断簡 (松永本)|The Illustrated Sutra of Past and Present Karma (Kako genzai inga kyō emaki)
Feeding the Silkworms
A Vegetable Seller
Making Vases
Dyeing
Two Female Embroiderers
Man Selling Soft Bean Curd
