San'en (Three Wise Monkeys), from a Japanese pictorial maxim 

Adopting the maxim “see no evil, speak no evil, and hear no evil” can be good when it comes to people’s faults and mistakes, as well as inconvenient truths. The so-called “three wise monkeys” motif usually consists of three monkeys hiding their eyes, ears, and mouth respectively. Here, Shimomura Kanzan has adapted the motif to three men who are respectively blind, deaf, and mute. The smiling faces and hands of the men are carefully wrought in thin, soft lines. In contrast, their clothes are shown with quick, thick, and strong strokes. By rendering these varied sumi ink colors in harmony and employing such bold variations of lines, the artist in his mature period shows his preoccupation with pursuing the beauty of ink painting. The museum’s collection also has two sketches by the artist.
(UCHIYAMA Junko)