Scene from Russo-Japanese War

Creator: Toyohara Chikanobu 豊原周信
Location: Japan
Date Created: 1904
Physical Dimensions: 36.7 × 72 cm (14 7/16 × 28 3/8 in)
Medium: Woodblock Print on Paper
Period: Meiji

Japan’s Meiji Era imperial wars continued into the 20th century with the Russo Japanese War, a monumental conflict that saw the Empire of Japan face off against the Russian Empire. Japan unexpectedly crushed the Tsar’s navy, with the destruction of the entire Russian Pacific fleet. In the woodblock print above, six Japanese sailors can be seen celebrating their victory over the Russian navy. As the sailors fire the guns, ships sink below the waves in a hellish inferno while smoke billows up into the sky.