A pair of hanging scrolls by Nagasawa Rosetsu featuring a monkey trainer with children and a monkey on a rock, rendered in expressive ink wash.

This diptych by Nagasawa Rosetsu captures the eccentric and expressive style associated with the Maruyama-Shijo school. Rosetsu, a student of Maruyama Okyo, became known for his unconventional compositions and his ability to blend realistic observation with a playful, almost surreal sensibility. These two hanging scrolls demonstrate his mastery of ink wash techniques, where varying concentrations of ink create volume and texture without the need for rigid outlines.

The left scroll depicts a monkey trainer accompanied by two children and a small puppy. The figures are rendered with loose, fluid brushwork, conveying a sense of movement and informal characterisation. The trainer appears slightly dishevelled, his robes depicted with sweeping, gestural strokes that suggest a hurried or spontaneous execution. The children, peering from behind his garments, add a touch of domestic warmth to the scene.

The right scroll presents a monkey perched atop a craggy rock formation. The rock is defined by bold, wet ink washes that suggest weight and solidity, contrasting with the more delicate, fine-lined details of the monkey's fur. Small, reddish-brown accents of colour appear on the flora clinging to the rock, providing a subtle visual balance to the monochromatic tones of the ink.

Rosetsu often utilised negative space to focus the viewer's attention on the primary subjects. In these works, the plain silk background allows the figures to occupy the pictorial space with clarity. The artist's signature and seals are visible in the upper sections of both scrolls, confirming their authenticity within his body of work. This pair reflects the artist's interest in both human and animal subjects, a recurring theme in his output during the late eighteenth century. The work remains an example of the expressive potential of ink painting during the Edo period.