Wild Boar amidst Autumn Flowers and Grasses

Mori Sosen employs ink and color on paper, using delicate brushwork to delineate foliage and the animal’s musculature. The rendering combines realistic observation of the boar’s form with stylized botanical elements, reflecting the artist’s background in animal studies and the broader ukiyo‑e aesthetic of the period.

Created at the turn of the nineteenth century, the painting entered the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s collection through acquisition in the late twentieth century. Its documented provenance traces back to Japanese private holdings before crossing to the United States, where it has been displayed in several exhibitions of East Asian art.

Mori Sosen (1747–1821) was renowned for his detailed animal paintings, especially depictions of wild boars and tigers. This work aligns with his lifelong interest in portraying fauna within natural settings, contributing to a tradition that blended scientific observation with artistic expression in Edo‑period Japan.