1874 (ca.), Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Battle of Sannō Shrine -- Legion of Honor (San Francisco)
From the museum label:
In this gruesome scene, the Shogitai militia, loyal to the shogunate, is nearing its defeat at the Battle of Sannō Shrine. A discussion between Amano Hachirō, the Shōgitai leader, and another soldier is unfolding in the right panel, while the ravages of war—a bloody corpse, and a severed head slung over a samurai's shoulder—are laid bare throughout the rest of the triptych.
This composition represents one of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's earliest attempts to capture contemporary events in print after prohibitions against depicting such subjects were lifted during the Meiji period. The distinctly visceral gore is the result of the artist's direct observations of the battle in action.
1874 (ca.), Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Battle of Sannō Shrine -- Legion of Honor (San Francisco)
From the museum label:
In this gruesome scene, the Shogitai militia, loyal to the shogunate, is nearing its defeat at the Battle of Sannō Shrine. A discussion between Amano Hachirō, the Shōgitai leader, and another soldier is unfolding in the right panel, while the ravages of war—a bloody corpse, and a severed head slung over a samurai's shoulder—are laid bare throughout the rest of the triptych.
This composition represents one of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's earliest attempts to capture contemporary events in print after prohibitions against depicting such subjects were lifted during the Meiji period. The distinctly visceral gore is the result of the artist's direct observations of the battle in action.