A Torpedo Hitting a Russian Warship
- Date:
- February 1904
- Medium:
- Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 37.5 × 71.3 cm
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Description
Issued in February 1904, just weeks after the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, this print depicts a Japanese torpedo striking a Russian warship in the surprise attack on the Port Arthur roads that opened hostilities. Kiyochika renders the moment of impact — a geyser of white water, a listing hull, the flash of fire — with the immediacy of a news illustration. The print was among the first of dozens he produced during the Russo-Japanese conflict, rapidly translating telegraph dispatches into woodblock imagery for a news-hungry Tokyo public.
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Torpedo Hitting a Russian Warship was created by Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林清親) in February 1904.
A Torpedo Hitting a Russian Warship depicts boats & ships, seascapes, and night scenes.
A Torpedo Hitting a Russian Warship measures 37.5 × 71.3 cm (Oban format).