A rare theme in Japanese art of the now extinct Japanese Wolf (Okami) under a crescent moon by Edo period Zen Priest So Gessen enclosed in a wooden box. The artist has depicted the scene as if viewed in the dark, all color and depth bled out by the darkness, just gray washes against gray washes. The scroll retains its original Edo mountings befitting the austerity of a zen quarters. The scroll is 56.5 x 173.5 cm (22-1/4 x 68-1/4 inches). There are minor abrasions to the paper surface, and a few insect holes in the upper border.
So Gessen (1741-1809) was an artist initially trained in Edo under Sakurai Sekkan, and later in Kyoto under Maruyama Okyo. A known associate of Yosa Buson, he was a prominent figure in the literati scene of that time. He lived a quiet life in his later years at Jakushoji Temple in Ise and his style helped to shape the Literati style of the 19th century.
