Student Artwork Guide

Name Class Date

Inshō Dōmoto, Metro. Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist: Inshō Dōmoto originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/insho-domoto/
Artist’s dates: 1891 – 1975
Original size: 121 x 166 cm

Copyright This work is still under copyright. Inshō Dōmoto died in 1975; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it remains in force until 2045. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

Metro — Inshō Dōmoto

How big is it?

The original measures 121 × 166 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When might this have been painted?

1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970

08
918
1928
2938
3948
4958
5968
6978
7984

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 84 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Inshō Dōmoto (1891–1975) every dated painting, decade by decade

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Solutions of Continuities No.7, 1964 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/insho-domoto-solutions-of-continuities-no-7-D5H45Z-en/
Critical State：Water, 1986 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/insho-domoto-critical-state-water-D5H3XW-en/
Locks originaluniqueart.com/en/art/insho-domoto-locks-D5ETLD-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/insho-domoto-metro-D5ETH5-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Gray #74656d

Catalogued palette

#74656D
#D9C7C5
#B1958A
#332E3D

These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

Palette: Neutrals The dominant colour family in the image.
Main colour name: Gray
Intensity: Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Discordant Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Bright How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Subtle Color How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Where in the world is this painting looked at?

under 1%
1–3%
3–8%
8–20%
20% and over

This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Inshō Dōmoto over the last twelve months — 3 countries in all. Where these figures come from

The ten leading countries

1 China 89.5%1,700 visits
2 France 5.3%100 visits
3 Italy 5.3%100 visits

Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

The 17 most looked-at works by Inshō Dōmoto

1 Pomegranates 10.5%200 visits
2 Suspicion 10.5%200 visits
3 Ripened Fruits 10.5%200 visits
4 Solutions of Continuities No.7, 1964 5.3%100 visits
5 Study for 5.3%100 visits
6 Etoir 5.3%100 visits
7 Lillies, 1958 5.3%100 visits
8 Slope (Image of Gojo-zaka) 5.3%100 visits
9 Wind God 5.3%100 visits
10 Triptych of Buddhist, Saint Vimalakirti (Yuima) 5.3%100 visits
11 Houses in the Outskirt of Paris 5.3%100 visits
12 Hares playing in the Spring Field 5.3%100 visits
13 Chair 5.3%100 visits
14 Begining and Ending of Destiny (Pieta) 5.3%100 visits
15 Locks 5.3%100 visits
16 Auspicious Wind Blowing Through Pines 5.3%100 visits
— Metro this painting 0.0%0 visits

Together these works take 100.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 48 works by this artist, of which 16 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

Metro — Inshō Dōmoto

This is a scene in the Paris metro (subway). The passengers, totally unrelated to each other, occupy their respective micro-space. The faces, void of expression, which appear behind the man reading the Arts newspaper seem to suggest loneliness and indifference typical of urban life. They simply represent the day-to-day existence of contemporary men and women seemingly accustomed to anxiety. This work is particularly successful in its use of clear colors and simplified forms. From around the time of this painting, Insho began frequently using new warm colors such as violet, yellow, and pink, which later became his colors.

Artist

Inshō Dōmoto

Born in Kyoto, Japan

early life and training

inshō dōmoto, a renowned japanese nihonga artist, was born on december 25, 1891, in kyoto, japan. from a young age, he began working under the guidance of heizo tatsumura i, which laid the foundation for his future success.

rise to prominence

at the age of 28, dōmoto's work landscape of fukakusa was exhibited, marking a significant milestone in his career. his most famous painting, symphony, created in 1961, is still widely admired today.

notable works and contributions

* painted over 600 interior screens and ceilings for buddhist temples and shrines, including the notable tōfuku-ji in kyoto's higashiyama district. commissioned by the monastery chishaku-in to paint new sliding doors facing its famous garden. created a large and vivid ceiling painting, blue dragon, for one of the halls in just 17 days. * painted two rooms in the temple hōnen-in in 1971.

awards and legacy

appointed as an imperial household artist in 1944. received the order of culture in 1961. * established a painting school at the age of 45, which still exists today.

explore more on AllPaintingsStore

learn about the nihonga art movement and its significance in japanese art. discover other notable artists like inshō dōmoto on AllPaintingsStore's extensive database.

view inshō dōmoto's artworks, including symphony and landscape of fukakusa, on AllPaintingsStore.

explore the bunjinga art movement, a style that influenced dōmoto's work.

read about other japanese art movements, such as nanga, on AllPaintingsStore.

Where to read more

The artist Inshō Dōmoto originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/insho-domoto/
Similar works More works to compare originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/insho-domoto-metro-D5ETH5-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for Metro

originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/insho-domoto-metro-D5ETH5-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Dōmoto, Inshō. Metro. n.d., https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/insho-domoto-metro-D5ETH5-en/
APA: Dōmoto, Inshō (n.d.). Metro [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/insho-domoto-metro-D5ETH5-en/
Chicago: Inshō Dōmoto. Metro. n.d. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/insho-domoto-metro-D5ETH5-en/
Harvard: Dōmoto, Inshō (n.d.) Metro. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/insho-domoto-metro-D5ETH5-en/

Metro — Inshō Dōmoto

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Look back at Solutions of Continuities No.7 (1964), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
What might the artist have wanted you to feel?
If you could ask the artist one question about this work, what would it be?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

Questions & Answers

Is "Metro" by Inshō Dōmoto a portrait, landscape or square composition?

"Metro" by Inshō Dōmoto has a portrait format. The format describes the proportions of the composition.

Is "Metro" by Inshō Dōmoto a bright or a dark artwork?

Overall, "Metro" is recorded as bright. Perceived brightness describes how light or dark the work appears.

Where can I buy a hand-painted reproduction of "Metro" by Inshō Dōmoto?

Hand-painted copies of "Metro" by Inshō Dōmoto are sold on this website: a hand-painted oil reproduction on linen canvas, ordered from its Hand-Painted Reproduction page.