Artist unknown, Japanese

Ship Sinking, c. 1904-05

Woodcut

14 3/4 x 20 1/4 in.

Swiftly executed, prints such as these were distributed throughout the war giving a largely Japanese audience up-to-date information on the Russo-Japanese war (1904-05). Through a series of military engagements on land and sea, Japans much smaller army wrested control of an important Chinese trading harbor, Port Arthur, from Russia. Such imagery helped bolster support for the military and instilled national pride. Though made in Japan, the incorporation of English text (often mispelled) indicates some were meant for wider distribution.

c. 1904-05

Gift of Stanford Smith

1997.37.1