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Deer

	Object Type	18th Century Japanese Scroll
	Artist	Sosen
	Period	Edo (18th century)
	Materials	Sumi on Silk Scroll
	Creation Date	ca. 1800
	Dimensions	109 cm. x 51 cm. (42 7/8 in. x 20 1/8 in.)

Commentary

There are subtle things in this painting which make me believe its authenticity, such as the brushwork of the tail and the deer's expressions. It is very hard, though, to express tension or relaxation in a hoof. In any case, there are many "Sosen" deer that do not exhibit the eloquence this one does. - JDP Ito Jakuchu and Maruyama Õkyo established their own styles during the eighteenth century, based on close observation of nature, as did Mori Sosen. Though Mori Sosen was influenced by Õkyo, his animals were more humorous than Õkyo's and were popular among the merchant class. Especially, it was his monkeys, which were anthropomorphised that the merchants felt a special affinity. This painting is of a stag depicted from his back, as he looks at the crescent moon. He favored a composition of a deer eating grass from this angle. It was probably not too difficult to change the neck position for creating this composition. Signature "Sosen hitsu," seal "Sosen." (Kono)