Object number2008.19.11

Great Free-for-All Battle at Longwang Temple

Date1894

Artist Ogata Gessan (尾形月山) (Japanese, active 1904-1905)

CultureJapanese

MediumWoodblock print (nishiki-e): ink and color on paper

DimensionsSheet (ōban tate-e triptych): 14 9/16 x 9 13/16 in. (37 x 25 cm)
Composition: 14 9/16 x 28 1/4 in. (37 x 71.8 cm)

Credit LineGift of Frances Beatty Adler, class of 1970, and Allen Adler

Period19th c (Meiji period)

Classification(s)

SignedOn recto, lower left, left sheet, artist's signature in block: 月三 (Gessan)

MarkingsOn recto, lower left, left sheet, artist's mark in block: 月三 (Gessan)

Vassar Exhibitions

Bunmei Kaika: Political Landscape in Early Modern and Modern Japan

Label TextJapanese artists portrayed Chinese and Russian enemy forces in different manners. Ogata Gessan’s Great Free-for-All Battle at Longwang Temple shows the Imperial Japanese Army and the Russians in the midst of battle, exchanging blows. The Russians’ expressions are less exaggerated, and they fight—like the Japanese—in Western uniforms. These visual cues reflect how prints were used as propaganda tools to foster Japanese patriotism by dehumanizing non-Western enemy forces, emphasizing successes, and positioning Japanese forces as on par with the West.

Terms

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email loebcollections@vassar.edu