Struggling Hard on the Battleship Hatsuse in the Harbor of Port Arthur 1904

This print was made by Kobayashi Kiyochika. Though undated, we can tell it was made during the Meiji period in Japan. The first thing that strikes you about this print is its commitment to clean lines and flat color. The smoky background doesn't blend so much as suggest cloudiness through layering. The eye is drawn to the crisp outlines of the figures and the sharp details of their uniforms. You might notice how Kiyochika uses color sparingly, almost as if he's rationing it, to highlight certain areas. Look closely at the man standing center left. The way the black of his uniform contrasts with the red cross on his arm, it’s like the artist wants us to focus on the urgency of the moment, but also to the beauty and the design of the piece. It reminds me a bit of American painter Jacob Lawrence, who also used flat planes of color and graphic shapes to tell stories about struggle and resilience. Both artists seem to understand that sometimes, less is more. That by stripping away the unnecessary details, you can get closer to the heart of the matter.