Illustration of the Great Battle of Pyongyang from the series Sino-Japanese War Picture Book

 

Japanese Color Woodblock Print

Illustration of the Great Battle of Pyongyang

from the series Sino-Japanese War Picture Book

by Yukawa Hiromitsu, 1894

Illustration of Bugler [Private Kiguchi Kohei] from the series Sino-Japanese War Picture Book


IHL Cat. #2434

About This Print

Yukawa has depicted a group of Japanese soldiers and their commander hidden behind tall grass watching Chinese soldiers flee the advance of the Japanese army. In late July 1894, Japan began military operations in Korea against China, which had established itself as Korea's suzerain in 1860.  Within a month Pyongyang was China's last position held in Korea and by September 16 they had lost this city to a Japanese assault.

This print, as opposed to almost all other Sino-Japanese War prints, was published in Ōsaka rather than in Tokyo. Its publisher Ōbuchi Wataru of the publishing house Hatsubai Shinshindō was primarily a book publisher and this print was part of a twelve print gafu (picture book), a portfolio titled Sino-Japanese War Picture Book,  the envelope for which is shown below.

Envelope for the series Sino-Japanese War Picture Book
image source: Penn Museum 17719M


To see more prints of the Sino-Japanese War including the Battle of Pyongyang see the article Sino-Japanese War Prints (1894-1895).

Print Details

 IHL Catalog
 #2431
 Title or DescriptionIllustration of the Great Battle of Pyongyang
大院君人闕争亂之圖
 Series Title Sino-Japanese War Picture Book 日清戦争画譜 Nishin sensō gafu
 Artist Yukawa Hiromitsu (active c. 1894)
 Signature
Hiromitsu 広光
 Seal no seal
 Publication Date
October 18, 1894 (Meiji 27) [printed October 14, 1894]
 Publisher
Ōbuchi Wataru 大淵涉 of the Ōsaka 大阪 publishing house Hatsubai Shinshindō  發賣駸々堂
[click on image to enlarge]
 Impression excellent
 Colors excellent
 Condition fair - paper wrinkling throughout; light toning; two small holes upper right of image
 Genre ukiyo-e; senso-e
 Miscellaneous   
 Format shikishiban
 H x W Paper 
 9 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (24.1 x 21 cm) 
 H x W Image
 9 1/8 x 7 3/8 in. (23.2 x 18.7 cm)
 Literature 
 
 Collections This Print
 Penn Museum University of Pennsylvania 17719A
last revision:
4/8/2021 created