In the Battle of Nanshan Lieutenant Shibakawa Matasaburo Led His Men Holding up a Rising Sun War Fan
Artist
Getsuzo
(Japanese, active 1904–1905)
Date1904
Mediumwoodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
DimensionsOban Triptych: 25.4 × 113.3 cm (10 × 44 5/8 in.)
ClassificationsPrints
Credit LineHarriet B. Bancroft Fund
Object number1999.40
DescriptionOne of the heroes at the Battle of Nanshan was Lieutenant Shibakawa Matasaburo. Although he was a brilliant law student from a wealthy Osaka family, the strong-principled Matasaburo did not try to avoid his militatry duty. He fought bravely in the vanguard, leading his men by holding high a military fan decorated with the nationalistic emblem of the rising sun.Betty Swinton-After fierce fighting that lasted throughout the day of May 26, 1904, the Japanese finally occupied Nanshan's fort. It was an undeniable victory but one with a high price - 4,387 Japanese casualties. This design focuses on the heroism of a single individual depicted in a style derived from the war prints of Yoshitoshi and his followers. Unlike traditional compositional schemes, however, the action moves from left to right in the Western manner.
ProvenanceIsrael Goldman, London
On View
Not on view
