The Trembling Army of Russia 1904

Kobayashi Kiyochika made this print, ‘The Trembling Army of Russia,’ using woodblock, around the turn of the century. Look at those zig-zag outlines slicing into the figures, that nervous energy humming across the page! I bet Kiyochika was feeling something fierce when he carved those lines. It’s not just drawing; it’s like he’s conducting electricity through the wood, turning political commentary into visual fireworks. I can almost hear the shink of the knife meeting the wood as he’s making the cut, like a rhythmic dance of intention. I'm sure Kiyochika was thinking about the great tradition of Japanese printmaking and how he could use it to make a really contemporary statement. There's so much embedded history, so much accumulated skill and knowledge in every mark, that it’s almost like all printmakers are in conversation. The Trembling Army of Russia has this incredible ambiguity, a certain tension and uncertainty. The surface almost seems to vibrate with it!