Album of Sketches and Drawings
19th century
Medium
Album; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 17 1/2 × 15 3/8 × 1 3/8 in. (44.5 × 39 × 3.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo (1615–1868)–Meiji (1868–1912) period
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
29.100.1402
Art Historical Context
This enchanting *Album of Sketches and*, created by an unidentified Japanese artist in the 19 century, spans the late Edo (1615–1868) and early Meiji (1868–1912) periods—a time of profound transition in Japan. As the nation shifted from feudal isolation to rapid modernization under Western influences, such personal albums served as intimate repositories of creativity, capturing fleeting ideas, studies from nature, or everyday scenes in ink and vibrant color on paper. The medium reflects traditional Japanese techniques: fluid sumi ink for precise lines and subtle washes, enhanced by mineral pig...