A FINE MORI SCHOOL SCROLL PAINTING OF TWO MONKEYS ON A PINE TREE School of Mori Sosen (1747-1821), with two seals, one reading Tadamichi 忠道 Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely painted in ink and watercolors on silk, with a silk brocade frame, and mounted as a hanging scroll, depicting two monkeys clambering a gnarly pine branch, playfully looking at each other. Two red seals to the bottom right. The reverse with an inscribed Japanese label `Tadamichi, Monkeys`. SIZE 95.5 x 35.5 cm (image), 172.9 x 48 cm (incl. mounting) Condition: Very good condition, the image with few minuscule stains and minor creasing, the mounts with some foxing, stains, few creases, and little browning. Provenance: French private collection. Mori Sosen (1747-1821), the founder of the Mori painting School, was active in Osaka at the end of the Edo period and came to be known as the `Monkey Painter Sosen,` and he is renowned even today for his monkey paintings. Like his contemporary Maruyama Okyo, Sosen created works based on sketches from life as is finely exemplified by the painting presented here, where the artist has beautifully captured the realism of the details of the animals` soft fur in the refined delicacy of the brushstrokes. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related scroll painting of two monkeys on a pine branch by Mori Sosen, in the British Museum, museum number 1881,1210,0.2279. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related scroll painting of two monkeys on a pine branch by Mori Sosen, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 11 May 2010, London, lot 132 ( sold for 15,600 GBP ).