Title: III Water (third of the series, Hiroshima Panels)
Creator: Maruki Iri, Maruki Toshi
Date: c. 1950
Period: Post-Word War II Occupation of Japan
Location: Tokyo
Culture: Japanese
Material: Sumi ink, charcoal or conté on paper
Dimensions: 180 x 720 cm
Repository: Maruki Gallery, https://marukigallery.jp/en/hiroshimapanels/
Description: “Water” is the stunning portrayal of the aftermath of one of the greatest disasters in human history: the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by the United States during World War II. At over seven meters long and nearly two meters tall, the charcoal painting provides a captivating panoramic experience of the sheer human misery experienced after the bomb vaporized large swathes of the once-bustling city – without discriminating between military and civilian targets. A pile of corpses dominates the left quarter of the painting while a mother somberly coddling a baby is in the middle. The right-hand portion of the painting portrays people overcome by distress as they look upon the corpses. The black and white composition of the panorama emphasizes the absolute misery of the bombing, as people clamored for the only comfort available: water.
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