Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1827 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 08.148.9
- Credit line
- Gift of Francis Lathrop, 1908
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a piece within the landscape genre, the imagery focuses on topographical elements rather than narrative figures or symbolic allegories.
Created in 1827 by Utagawa Hiroshige, this work is a landscape painting executed in ink and color on silk. The composition depicts a mountainous scene, establishing the natural environment as the primary subject. As a piece within the landscape genre, the imagery focuses on topographical elements rather than narrative figures or symbolic allegories.
The visual representation centers on the physical form of the mountain and the surrounding terrain, reflecting the artist's engagement with natural scenery typical of his output during this period.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in ink and color on silk, a traditional East Asian painting support that requires careful handling due to the delicate, fibrous nature of the material. Classified as a matted painting, it is presented in a format consistent with Japanese hanging or scroll display conventions of the early nineteenth century. The composition measures 20.9 cm in height by 31 cm in width, a modest horizontal format suited to landscape imagery.
Stylistically, the piece belongs to the landscape genre, depicting mountainous terrain rendered through the layered ink-and-color technique. It is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.
History & Provenance
The painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued with accession number 2015.486. It was first recorded in the museum's collection in 2015. The work has not been included in major public exhibitions according to available records.
Context
The work Untitled, produced in 1827 in Japan, is recorded as a matted painting in ink and color on silk and is classified within the landscape genre. According to the catalog entry, the piece depicts a mountain and belongs to the broader tradition of Japanese landscape painting that flourished during the Edo period. Its inclusion in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection situates it within the institutional effort to preserve significant examples of this tradition.
Legacy
The 1827 ink and color work on silk, attributed to Utagawa Hiroshige, is catalogued as a landscape painting that portrays a mountain scene. Classified within the genre of landscape art, the piece was created in Japan and later acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is held as part of the artist's body of landscape works. Its presence in a major institutional collection has contributed to ongoing scholarship on Hiroshige's role in the development of landscape imagery.
Overview
This untitled work from 1827, rendered in ink and color on silk, exemplifies the artistic contributions of Utagawa Hiroshige, a prominent figure in Japan's late Edo period. As a leading ukiyo-e artist, Hiroshige was recognized for his evocative landscape compositions. This painting reflects his characteristic approach, showcasing his skill in depicting natural environments within the flourishing ukiyo-e tradition.
Artist & collection
Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川 広重) or Andō Hiroshige (安藤 広重), born Andō Tokutarō (安藤 徳太郎; 1797 – 12 October 1858), was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, considered the last great master of that tradition.
