Born: 1747
Died: 1821
Little is known about Sosen's life. He was born either in Nagasaki or in Nishinomiya near Osaka, and lived in Osaka. He first studied Kano painting under Yamamoto Joshunsai, then later changed his style to one based on close observation of nature (he even lived for a while in the woods to observe animals in their free state) and is hence considered a member of the Shijo school. Sosen specialized in painting monkeys (he is the best known Japanese artist for this subject) but also painted other animals. In his later years he changed the so of his name Sosen from the character for "ancestor". to a character that has one meaning of "monkey.
- from A Dictionary of Japanese Artists (1976), by Lawrence P. Roberts