A Torpedo Sinking a Russian Warship at Port Arthur, February 15, 1904

This sensō-e documents the Japanese naval attack on Russian warships at Port Arthur (Lüshun) in February 1904, a strike that opened the Russo-Japanese War and disabled a significant portion of Russia's Pacific Fleet in the harbor before a formal declaration of war. The date February 15 is specified in the title, referring to follow-up torpedo boat actions after the initial surprise attack on the night of February 8–9. Kiyochika renders the nocturnal engagement with the dramatic contrast between darkness and explosive illumination that his kosen-ga technique was uniquely equipped to convey. The sinking warship, surrounded by flame and churning water, occupies the pictorial center while torpedo boats maneuver at speed in the surrounding water. This print belongs to the substantial body of Russo-Japanese War battle imagery Kiyochika produced in 1904–05, functioning as both reportage and patriotic celebration.