Naval Commander Hirose Takeo — who died in April 1904 attempting to blockade Port Arthur harbour by sinking a ship in the channel — was rapidly elevated to the status of a military saint in Japanese popular culture. Kiyochika's April 1904 portrait print, issued within weeks of his death, captures the public lionisation of Hirose: the commander who sacrificed his life for the mission was commemorated in songs, poems, and shrines. The portrait format gives ceremonial weight to a death that became the Russo-Japanese War's defining act of individual heroism.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Naval Commander Hirose Takeo was created by Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林清親) in April 1904.
Naval Commander Hirose Takeo depicts figures, warriors, and portraits.
Naval Commander Hirose Takeo measures 37.1 × 72.7 cm (Oban format).
