The Triumphant Return of the Japanese Army after the Great Victory at Seonghwan c. 1894

This Triptych, by Kobayashi Ikuhide, celebrates the Japanese army's victory at Seonghwan, likely printed using woodblock techniques common at the time. The printmaking process would have involved carving the image into separate woodblocks for each color, a labor-intensive task demanding great skill, and multiple impressions on paper. The flat expanses of color and line, inherent to the medium, emphasize the patterns of flags and uniforms, lending a graphic quality to the scene. The subject matter highlights an interesting tension: the relatively low cost of woodblock printing allowed for the widespread distribution of propaganda, in service of a modernizing, militarizing Japan. This was only made possible by the skilled labor of artisans, often overlooked in narratives of military triumph. By considering both the image and its mode of production, we see how the aesthetics of craft can be mobilized for political purposes, blurring the boundaries between art, industry, and ideology.