Onoguchi Tokuji Blasting the Gates of Jinzhou Fortress 1895

Kobayashi Kiyochika created this image, "Onoguchi Tokuji Blasting the Gates of Jinzhou Fortress," without specifying a date, using printmaking techniques. The composition is stark: on the right, a Japanese soldier rendered in dark blues and greys crouches in anticipation; to the left, a vibrant explosion tears through a gate. The explosion is represented with dynamic lines and warm colors that contrast sharply with the soldier and the dark background. These radiating lines not only convey the force of the blast, but also fragment the scene, destabilizing any sense of a fixed, coherent reality. This disruption is further emphasized by the floating debris, which punctures the pictorial space and challenges traditional notions of perspective. The use of light and shadow, particularly the way the explosion illuminates the soldier’s determined face, hints at a narrative of progress and imperial might. However, the fractured composition simultaneously underscores the destructive nature of such endeavors. Through these formal strategies, Kiyochika delivers a complex commentary on the aesthetics and ethics of conflict.