The Fall of Fenghuangcheng: Putting the Enemy to Rout (Hōōjō kanraku tekihei kaisō zu) Possibly 1894

Editor: Here we have "The Fall of Fenghuangcheng: Putting the Enemy to Rout," a triptych by Mizuno Toshikata. It's a dynamic battle scene, but it's hard to ignore the clear power imbalance depicted. What should we be thinking about when we consider this work? Curator: It's critical to unpack the context of Japanese printmaking at this time. This work likely idealizes Japanese military prowess during the First Sino-Japanese War. How does it function as propaganda? And what does that mean for how we understand historical narratives? Editor: So it's not just about the battle itself, but also about how it was presented to the public? Curator: Exactly. It asks us to consider whose stories are being told, and for what purposes. Were Japanese audiences meant to understand their military actions as just, or something else? Editor: I see. It makes me think about whose perspective is missing. Thank you. Curator: Indeed. Remembering the silences is crucial to understanding power.