Long Live the Great Japanese Empire! A Great Victory for Our Troops in the Assault on Songhwan (Dai Nihon teikoku banbanzai, Seikan shugeki waga gun taisho no zu) 1894

Editor: So, this woodblock print, "Long Live the Great Japanese Empire! A Great Victory for Our Troops in the Assault on Songhwan" by Mizuno Toshikata, created in 1894. It just throws you right into the middle of battle, doesn't it? All that energy and chaos... what stands out to you most when you look at it? Curator: Ah, yes. This print... it’s more than just a depiction of war; it’s a potent performance of national identity. The woodblock medium itself whispers of Japonisme, a fascinating echo of cultural exchange. And, I'm intrigued by that flag – rising defiantly amidst the chaos. A symbol so potent, yet also vulnerable in the fleeting moment. Makes you wonder, what price is paid for these "victories"? Editor: Victory and vulnerability – that's a really interesting pairing. I hadn't thought about the cost beyond the immediate battle. What can we understand about the period in question by looking closer at this? Curator: Well, look at the upward thrust of the composition, and then contrast that energy with the rather muted colours and the almost caricatured expressions on the soldiers' faces! Do you see how it presents the First Sino-Japanese War? Editor: Now that you mention it, the figures do feel less like portraits and more like symbols... of the war machine perhaps? Is that related to the overall goal of propaganda at that time? Curator: Precisely! The print is a celebration, and it asks you to buy into the narrative of an ascendant empire, hungry for validation on the world stage. The beauty, perhaps, conceals something unsettling. Makes one think. What do we truly celebrate? Editor: Absolutely. Thank you for unveiling all the many narrative layers that the print displays. Curator: It was my pleasure! The best art always leaves you with a knotty question or two, doesn't it? Keeps the mind limber, you see.