A monkey scratching himself

Object Details

• Artist

  Attributed to Mori Sosen (1747-1821)

• Label

  Signed on the lower left "Sosen (Ancestor-Immortal)" and followed by an oval relief seal "Shusho (or Morikata)," the painting has been attributed to Mori Sosen, an artist of the late Edo period who is best known for his monkey paintings. In this scroll, a single monkey and a cluster of plants are painted against a neutral background. The monkey squats on the ground, and picks fleas. However, the typical Sosen subject is not imbued with the lively form of the wild creatures that is characteristic of representative works by this artist. Details such as the eyes of the monkey are rendered with deliberation but they do not focus on the animal's hands as they should to emphasize the concentrated attention of the itching monkey. Paintings of monkeys attributed to Sosen are numerous. Many of them, like this work, are of questionable authenticity. This painting may be a work of the 20th century.

• Provenance

  To 1904

  Michael Tomkinson (1841-1921), Kidderminster, England, to 1904 [1]

  From 1904 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Michael Tomkinson in 1904 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Kakemono Reserved List, T. 133, pg. 31, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Year of the Monkey (May 18, 1980 to February 15, 1981)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Michael Tomkinson (1841-1921) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  2000s, 1900s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Tomkinson, Michael

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Animals, Japanese Art, Monkeys, Kakemono

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Paintings