Educator Resources: Flash of Light, Fog of War: Japanese Military Prints, 1894-1905

The following resources are designed to prepare for and extend a classroom visit to the Ackland Art Museum. The experiences are intended to support classroom curriculum and learning standards, while allowing for students to express their ideas through a variety of formats – writing, discussion, research, and art making. Activities and conversation starters can be modified per grade level and discipline. Flash of Light, Fog of War: Japanese Military Prints, 1894-1905 6 October 2017 – 7 January 2018

When modern war technologies, such as long-range ammunition, torpedoes, and electric searchlights, were introduced into the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War at the turn of the 20th century, Japanese printmakers documenting battle scenes skillfully adapted the centuries-old techniques of ukiyo-e (woodblock printing) to achieve altogether new atmospheric and light effects. The Ackland’s exhibition Flash of Light, Fog of War examines how these printmakers created dynamic compositions—soldiers silhouetted against fiery pyrotechnic explosions, beams of bright white electrical light illuminating the hulls of steel warships, and the haze of spent gunpowder obscuring the brutal combat of the battlefield—that were part reportage and part dazzling artistic display.

Pre-Visit Experiences

Looking Closely As a class, look closely at one or more of the following works of art: The Great Victory of Our Forces at the Battle of the Yellow Sea (1894), Despite the Snow, the Japanese Army Captures the Stronghold at Weihaiwei (1895), The Great Naval Battle of the Yalu River (1894), Onoguchi Tokuji Destroying the Gate at Jinzhou Fortress (1894), Scouting Enemy Movements on the Ice near Yingkou (1895), and War Gods: The Warrior Hirose, Lieutenant Commander of our Naval Forces (1904) (see images and artwork information). Consider the following:

o Look closely at this image and describe what you see. o Based upon what you see, what do you think this work of art is about? o What information might this work of art tell you about the culture that made it? o Where would you find more information about this work of art using the visual clues that you see?

Artwork investigation Students will become Art Reporters and will ask questions to learn more about a work of art. Select a work of art from the images provided (consider doing an example together). What questions could we ask to find out more about this work of art? Like newspaper reporters, Art Reporters have six basic questions they need to ask about each work of art: Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why?, and How? Each question can be asked in different ways, and it is up to each Art Reporter to get the most information by using their question. Have students (either individually or in small groups) choose a work of art and encourage them to go through the same process of answering the six questions reporters often ask. Give students about 10-15 minutes to look closely at the work of art and consider the provided additional information. When the students are finished, have them share their findings with the rest of the class in the form of a news broadcast.

Ōkura Kōtō (1873–1912); War Gods: The Warrior Hirose, Lieutenant Commander of Our Naval Forces, 1904; triptych of polychrome woodblock prints (nishiki-e); Ackland Art Museum, 2015.11.83a–b

Sequence Writing and Drawing Give students the opportunity to choose one of the provided images and imagine what happened before or after this scene. Students will write a paragraph about the sequence and will illustrate their written response. Encourage the students to focus on the visual clues in the print to determine the character’s actions and scenes. Have students share their work with the class. Exploring the Printmaking Process

Have students explore the following resources to learn how Japanese Woodblock Prints are made.

Graham Scholes Video on Woodblock Printmaking (gscholes, YouTube)

o Video of Canadian artist Graham Scholes discussing the tools and materials used in Japanese printmaking and

demonstrating his process of printing.

Japanese Woodblock Printing with Paul Binnie (Toledo Museum of Art) o Video of a lecture presented by the contemporary woodblock print artist Paul Binnie at the Toledo Museum of

Art. Skip to 35 minutes to see a live demonstration of Japanese printing methods.

Ukiyo-e printmaking process with artist Keizaburo Matsuzaki (New South Wales Art Gallery) o Video showing the process of applying ink to a carved woodblock and using the baron to transfer the ink onto

paper. A helpful resource for understanding how multiple colors are added in one image.

Making a Woodblock Print (Visualizing Cultures, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

o Digitally illustrated step-by-step sequencing of the stages of creating a woodblock print.

Post Visit Experiences After your Museum Visit

o Have students share one thing they remembered from the Museum and how it relates to their life. (Note: This activity can be done on the bus back to school and allows for students to be accountable for their learning and arts experience.)

o Back in the classroom, have students think about their Museum experiences and respond through writing or drawing. What did you see at the Ackland and what did you do in the Museum galleries?

o Have students research any issues or questions that came up during their tour.

Research Opportunities

The inspiration for the Ackland Art Museum’s Flash of Light, Fog of War exhibition comes from the vivid imagery and descriptions of a Japanese soldier, Sakurai Tadayoshi (1879 – 1965), whose memoir of the Russo-Japanese War, Human Bullets, was published to wide acclaim and success in 1904. Through Tadayoshi’s perspective, we can experience the sights, sounds, and dramas of the battlefield. Like the prints of this exhibition, some of the author’s words are exaggerated and at times, politically motivated (Tadayoshi became a major general of the imperial Japanese Shinbun-han, the official newspaper propaganda wing of the army.) Using the resources below, encourage students to discover more about the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), and consider why these wars are relevant to current global events.

Flash of Light, Fog of War Resource List

Bailey, Bradley M. Flash of Light, Fog of War: Japanese Military Prints, 1894-1905. Ackland Art Museum, The University

of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2017

Related Museum Collections & Exhibitions

Tradition and Innovation in Meiji-Period Prints (Rhode Island School of Design)

Becoming Modern, Becoming Global: Japanese Prints from the Meiji Period (1868-1912) (Princeton University Art

Museum)

Conflicts of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan (Saint Louis Art Museum)

Pain’s Pyrotechnic Spectacle –links to a digital exhibition (Mead Art Museum, Amherst College)

Educational Websites

The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895: as seen in prints and archives (Japan Center for Asian Historical Records and

the British Library)

o A collaboration between the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records (JACAR) and the British Library joining

prints of the Sino-Japanese War with primary documents to show how the events of the war were recorded. The

website includes an interactive map of major battles, chronology, image gallery, and a glossary.

Asia and the West: Diplomacy and Cultural Exchange (Nineteenth Century Collections Online, GALE CENGAGE

Learning)

o An online collection of primary documents including treaties and correspondence during the time of the Sino

and Russo-Japanese war.

Visualizing Cultures (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

o A web resource created by MIT and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts to “to reconstruct the past as people of the

time visualized the world.” Educational units focus on modern Japan and China.

- Throwing Off Asia: Woodblock Prints of Meiji Japan (1868-1912)

A three-part unit from Visualizing Cultures provides essays, maps, and war prints from the Boston

Museum of Fine Arts collection for the Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War.

Asia for Educators (Columbia University)

o A website designed for teachers and students with resources relating to geography, art, literature, and religions.

Search for resources using timelines or by type (Central Themes & Key Points, Primary Sources, Lesson Plans,

Print/Video, and Elementary Level).

- Central Themes and Key Points

A webpage from Asia for Educators providing key points about the development of Japan during the

Meiji period.

- The Meiji Restoration and Modernization

An essay from Asia with Educators summarizing the social, economic, and ideological changes that

occurred with the restoration of the Meiji Emperor.

Maps

Sino-Japanese War Map and Chronology (Japan Center for Asian Historical Records and the British Library)

o An interactive map and timeline showing the major battles of the Sino-Japanese war. Each battle links to prints

and primary documents.

Treaties

The Japan-China Treaty (New York Times)

o New York Times publication of the full text of the The Treaty of Shimonoseki, an agreement between Japan and

China, signed in April 17, 1895, marking the end of the Sino-Japanese War.

Text of the Treaty of Portsmouth (The Advocate of Peace, JSTOR)

o An article from The Advocate of Peace (1894-1920) including the full text of the Treaty of Portsmouth ending the

Russo-Japanese War.

Bibliography

St. Louis Art Museum. 2016. Conflicts of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan. Saint Louis: Saint Louis Art Museum.

o A catalogue for the exhibition presented by the Saint Louis Art Museum showcasing the museum’s collection of

Japanese military prints and visual materials documenting Japan’s rise as a modern nation. An excellent resource

on war prints from the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars.

Barry, Richard. 1905. Port Arthur, a Monster Heroism. Moffat, Yard & Co.

o Full Text Online via Hathi Trust, original from the New York Public Library

o A dramatic account of the siege of Port Arthur, written by an American correspondent with the Japanese Army.

Sakurai, Tadayoshi. 1999. Human Bullets : a Soldier’s Story of Port Arthur. Bison books ed. Lincoln: University of

Nebraska Press.

o Full Text Online via Library of Congress

o A memoir by Tadayoshi Sakurai, which captures the traditional Japanese spirit of combat.

Sharf, Frederic A. 2005. A Much Recorded War: the Russo-Japanese War in History and Imagery. 1st ed. Boston, MA:

MFA Publications.

o Examines the various ways the Russo-Japanese war was documented internationally, from woodblock prints and

lithographs to photographs and postcards, marking it the first war recorded worldwide.

Swinton, Elizabeth de. 1991. In Battle’s Light: Woodblock Prints of Japan's Early Modern Wars. Worcester, MA:

Worcester Art Museum.

o Exhibition catalogue from the Worcester Art Museum including 80 woodblock prints, from the Sharf Collection,

of the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars. Includes color images with commentary for each print.

Till, Barry. 2008. Japan Awakens : Woodblock Prints of the Meiji Period (1868-1912). San Francisco, CA: Pomegranate

Communications.

o Richly illustrated book that uses reproductions of woodblock prints from the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria to

explore the social, industrial, military and cultural modernization in Japan during the Meiji period.

North Carolina Essential Standards: Social Studies

6.H.2.2 Understand the political, economic and/or social significance of historical events, issues, individuals, and cultural groups.

6.G.1 Understand geographic factors that influenced the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies, and regions over time.

6.C.1.1-2 Explain how the behaviors and practices of individuals and groups influenced societies, civilizations, and regions.

7.H.1.3 Use historical thinking to analyze various modern societies. 7.C.1.2 Understand how cultural values influence relationships between individuals, groups, and political

entities in modern societies and regions. WH.H.1 Apply the four interconnected dimensions of historical thinking to the Essential Standards for World

History in order to understand the creation and development of societies/civilizations/nations over time.

Common Core Curriculum: English Language Arts

4.W.1 – 5.W.1 Text Types and Purpose (Opinion) 4.W.2 – 5.W.2 Text Types and Purpose (Informative/Explanatory) 4.W.7 – 5.W.7 Research to Build and Present Knowledge (Conduct research and writing) 4.W.8 – 5.W.8 Research to Build and Present Knowledge (Recall or gather information) 9-10.R.7 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas (Analyzing Written and Visual Information)

North Carolina Essential Standards: Visual Art

4.V.1 – 8.V.1 Use the language of visual arts to communicate effectively. 4.V.2 – 8.V.1 Apply creative and critical thinking skills to artistic expression. 4.CX.1. – 8.V.1 Understand the global, historical, societal, and cultural contexts of the visual arts. 4.CX.2 – 8.CX.2 Understand the interdisciplinary connections and life applications of the visual arts.

Nitta Seizō (active late 19th century), artist; Takekawa Seikichi (active late 19th century), publisher; Scouting Enemy Movements on the Ice near Yingkou, 1895; triptych of polychrome woodblock prints (nishiki-e); Ackland Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The Gene and Susan Roberts Collection, 2014.40.70a–c

Kobayashi Toshimitsu (active 1877–1904), artist; Fukuda Kumajirō (active late 19th century), publisher; The Great Naval Battle of the Yalu River, 1894; triptych of polychrome woodblock prints (nishiki-e); Ackland Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The Gene and Susan Roberts Collection, 2015.11.110

Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847–1915), artist; Matsuki Heikichi V (1872–1931), publisher; Onoguchi Tokuji Destroying the Gate at Jinzhou Fortress, 1894; triptych of polychrome woodblock prints (nishiki-e); Ackland Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The Gene and Susan Roberts Collection, 2014.40.37a–c

Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847–1915), artist; Despite the Snow, the Japanese Army Captures the Stronghold at Weihaiwei, 1895; triptych of polychrome woodblock prints (nishiki-e) with applied gofun pigment; Ackland Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The Gene and Susan Roberts Collection, 2014.40.38ab

Ōkura Kōtō (1873–1912), artist; War Gods: The Warrior Hirose, Lieutenant Commander of Our Naval Forces, 1904; triptych of polychrome woodblock prints (nishiki-e); Ackland Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The Gene and Susan Roberts Collection, 2015.11.83a–b

Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847–1915), artist; The Great Victory of Our Forces at the Battle of the Yellow Sea: The First Illustration, 1894; triptych of polychrome woodblock prints (nishiki-e); Ackland Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The Gene and Susan Roberts Collection, 2014.40.13ab

Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847–1915), artist The Great Victory of Our Forces at the Battle of the Yellow Sea: The First Illustration, 1894 triptych of polychrome woodblock prints (nishiki-e) Ackland Art Museum, 2014.40.13a–b This triptych represents one of eight known designs by Kiyochika of the Battle of the Yellow Sea, more commonly known as the Battle of the Yalu River, which took place during the afternoon of September 17, 1894. Kiyochika hews to the traditional conventions of naval scene woodblock prints, which depict Japanese ships as white-hulled boats of a modern armada and the Chinese vessels as black-bottomed relics of an earlier age, an irony considering that some Chinese ships were later captured as “prizes of war” and integrated into the Japanese fleet. The artist exploits the dark clouds of cannon smoke to make the afternoon sky appear almost as night, heightening the dramatic burst of the exploding shells. Adding to the illusion of nightfall, the dewdrop-like lines of each explosion call to mind earlier depictions of riverside fireworks, such as Kiyochika’s urban scenes from the 1880s. Source: Flash of Light, Fog of War exhibition label Kobayashi Toshimitsu (active 1877–1904), artist Fukuda Kumajirō (active late 19th century), publisher The Great Naval Battle of the Yalu River, 1894 triptych of polychrome woodblock prints (nishiki-e) Ackland Art Museum, 2015.11.110 The Battle of the Yalu River took place in September 1894 and was the largest battle of the First Sino-Japanese War. This triptych, however, has very little to do with the actual events. Instead, this work draws heavily on the tradition of warrior prints, most famously Kuniyoshi’s 108 Heroes of the Water Margin (c. 1827–1830), which contains an underwater struggle strikingly similar to the figures at left. Despite their apparent modern diving suits and waterproof electric lanterns, the soldiers are engaged in combat with traditional Japanese weapons, including a katana blade and an axe, further nods to the genre. Unlike other known impressions, the Ackland triptych is missing a portion of the title cartouche at upper-right, a fact made evident by the empty, though outlined, square at the top. In other versions, this area contains text, which reads “Extra Issue of September 20,” indicating this design was originally released only three days after the outbreak of the battle. Source: Flash of Light, Fog of War exhibition label

Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847–1915), artist Matsuki Heikichi V (1872–1931), publisher Onoguchi Tokuji Destroying the Gate at Jinzhou Fortress, 1894 triptych of polychrome woodblock prints (nishiki-e) Ackland Art Museum, 2014.40.37a–c The northern gates of Jinzhou Fortress were fifty feet high and plated with iron and sat atop steep stone walls some thirty feet in height. To gain access, the Japanese troops turned to explosives. Accounts of this incident, which occurred on November 6, 1894, recount how during a brief pause in the onslaught, Private First Class Onoguchi dashed toward the gate to detonate the eleven kilograms of gun cotton. Onoguchi became a war hero and a very popular subject of woodblock prints, with several artists creating variations on this scene. In general, they are quite similar, with a soldier bracing himself against the force of a massive exploding fireball. Like many of the most famous events and images of the wars, the tale of Onoguchi’s heroism became an iconic representation of Japanese bravery. Indeed, the lack of details in this image indicate how readily identifiable a soldier aside a fireball would have been to the public. Source: Flash of Light, Fog of War exhibition label Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847–1915), artist Despite the Snow, the Japanese Army Captures the Stronghold at Weihaiwei, 1895 triptych of polychrome woodblock prints (nishiki-e) with applied gofun pigment Ackland Art Museum, 2014.40.38a–b The Japanese campaign for Weihaiwei took place from January 18 to February 16, 1895. Accounts describe heavy snowfall, to the point that the Japanese soldiers could no longer see their boots. With this triptych, Kiyochika has fully exploited the atmospheric conditions of Weihaiwei, intermingling the dense snow with the hazy smoke of the firing cannons. The effect of falling snow was achieved through two separate printings: one in grey ink and one in opaque white gofun, a calcium carbonated-based pigment derived ground oyster and clam shells. Gofun appears in Japanese prints and paintings by the early seventeenth century and was principally used in the genre of bijinga, or “prints of beauties,” as it proved especially useful for recreating the effects of the white makeup of geisha and courtesans. In war prints, however, gofun found new life as a medium ideally suited to smoke, fog, ocean sprays, and, as is the case here, snow. Source: Flash of Light, Fog of War exhibition label

Nitta Seizō (active late 19th century), artist Takekawa Seikichi (active late 19th century), publisher Scouting Enemy Movements on the Ice near Yingkou, 1895 triptych of polychrome woodblock prints (nishiki-e) Ackland Art Museum, 2014.40.70a–c The port city of Yingkou was strategically located at the mouth of the Liao River. During the winter of 1894, the Japanese slowly advanced across the Liaodong Peninsula before taking Yingkou on March 6, 1895. Accounts describe the harrowing conditions of the Manchurian winter, with its harsh cold and unrelenting winds. Seizō’s design clearly shows the influence of such reports: the horses’ manes and tails blow sideways as they are hit with icy gusts. Even the moonlight, which creates dynamic silhouettes against the frozen rocks, casts a bluish hue onto the soldiers and their steeds. Very little information is available about Seizō, though elements of this work suggest the influence of Kiyochika, such as the lack of outline in the background — indeed, even the soldiers and horses lose form as they advance up the rocks. The clouds and the white light of the rock faces also indicate a likely link to the master, who may have been Seizō’s teacher. Source: Flash of Light, Fog of War exhibition label Ōkura Kōtō (1873–1912), artist War Gods: The Warrior Hirose, Lieutenant Commander of Our Naval Forces, 1904 triptych of polychrome woodblock prints (nishiki-e) Ackland Art Museum, 2015.11.83a–b The designation of gunshin, or a “war god,” was posthumously applied to soldiers who exemplified the spirit of the Japanese warrior class, usually through an act of self-sacrifice. Lieutenant Colonel Hirose Takeo (1868–1904), who was killed by a Russian shell while searching his sinking vessel for a fellow officer, was one of the most popular gunshin of the period. His death, which occurred on March 27, 1904, during the second attempt to blockade Port Arthur, was heavily publicized in both newsprint and in many different woodblock print designs. A student of Ogata Gekkō, Ōkura Koto executed many designs based on individual heroes of both the First Sino- and Russo-Japanese Wars. His Japanese Spirit (Nihon Damashii) series of 1894, for example, included twenty-five single-sheet designs each focused on a different soldier and a famous deed that was somehow emblematic of the valor, heroism, and self-sacrifice that characterized the spirit of the Japanese warrior class. Source: Flash of Light, Fog of War exhibition label