Fierce Battle of Asan, Picture of the Advance over Anseong Ford
- Date:
- September 1894
- Medium:
- Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 37.1 × 74.3 cm
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Description
The Battle of Asan in Korea, fought in late July 1894 in the war's opening days, is shown here in a September 1894 nishiki-e depicting Japanese troops fording the Ansong River ford in their advance. The "picture of the advance" subtitle (shingun no zu) signals the composition's propagandistic function: a narrative of forward momentum against Qing resistance. Kiyochika's treatment of the ford crossing — soldiers in water, officers on horseback, smoke from defensive fire — became a template he reused across multiple early-war compositions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Fierce Battle of Asan, Picture of the Advance over Anseong Ford was created by Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林清親) in September 1894.
Fierce Battle of Asan, Picture of the Advance over Anseong Ford depicts warriors.
Fierce Battle of Asan, Picture of the Advance over Anseong Ford measures 37.1 × 74.3 cm (Oban format).