Japanese Print "Major General Odera Fighting Bravely at the "Hundred-Foot Cliff" near Weihaiwei" by Kobayashi Kiyochika
Artist:Kobayashi Kiyochika
Title:Major General Odera Fighting Bravely at the "Hundred-Foot Cliff" near Weihaiwei
Date:1895
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Source:Worcester Art Museum
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Description:
Another impression is in "In Battle's Light: Woodblock Prints of Japan's Early Modern Wars" by E. Swinton, WAM, 1991. Major General Odera Yasuzumi died on January 25 when the Chinese flagship DINGYUAN pounded the fort the Japanese had taken. According to the battle-front artist Kubota Beisen (standing behind the general in Gekko's print no. 6 in "In Battle's Light"), Odera was mortally wounded by shrapnel as he descended from the fort. He is believed to have been the only Japanese general to die in battle in the Pacific before World War II. The heroic equestrian pose and the blinding snowstorm heighten the drama and enhance the emotional impact of Odera's victory and death though they depart from historical accuracy. Major General Odera Yasuzumi died on January 25 when the Chinese flagship Dingyuan pounded the fort the Japanese had taken. According to Kubota Beisen, an artist-correspondent who was there, Odera was mortally wounded by shrapnel as he descended from the fort. He is believed to have been the only Japanese general to die in battle in the Pacific before World War II. Although they depart from historical accuracy, the heroic equestrian pose and the blinding snowstorm heighten the drama and enhance the emotional impact of Odera's victory and death.
