Sergeant Kawasaki Crosses the River Taedongjiang Alone (Kawasaki gunsō tanshin Daidōkō o wataru) Possibly 1894

Curator: This is Mizuno Toshikata's woodblock print, "Sergeant Kawasaki Crosses the River Taedongjiang Alone." The image feels charged with melancholy. Editor: It's stark, isn’t it? The vast expanse of water dominates the composition, dwarfing the figures on the shore, especially the lone sergeant. I think this piece is a commentary on the personal cost of war. Curator: The River Taedongjiang becomes a potent symbol here, representing not just a geographical barrier but also a psychological one. A boundary between known and unknown, safety and risk. Editor: Exactly! And we must acknowledge the history embedded in it. The lone soldier’s struggle across the river echoes larger conflicts, highlighting the absurdity of individual sacrifice for nationalistic causes. Curator: I’d agree. It’s a brave and harrowing image, one that reflects the artist’s own sentiments about the complexities of duty. Editor: It leaves me pondering the weight of history, questioning whose stories get told and whose are erased.