Untitled
1825
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
About the artist
1825
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
Untitled is a 1825 ink by Utagawa Kunisada, a Romanticism work, depicting Working, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This sketch shows a simple scene of people working near a river. On the left, a figure stands on a boat, while others on the bank sit or kneel around a table with bowls and tools. The lines are quick and loose, like a quick draft rather than a finished drawing. Notice how the artist used light ink strokes to suggest movement and activity, almost like scribbles. This was likely a practice drawing before making a more polished woodblock print. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shading with layers of lines.
