Our Scout Reconnoiters the Enemy Encampment near the Yalu River (Waga sekkô Ôryokkô fukin ni tekijin o ukagau zu)
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
- Image courtesy of
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Description
The Japanese title—Waga sekkô Ôryokkô fukin ni tekijin o ukagau zu—describes a reconnaissance scene near the Yalu River (Ôryokkô), which formed the border between Korea and Manchuria and was the site of significant fighting in late 1894. Departing from the panoramic naval subjects that dominate his war series, Kiyochika here focuses on a small number of figures—a scout or scouts observing Qing positions under cover of darkness or dawn light. The intimate scale and nocturnal or twilight setting draw directly on the kosen-ga atmospheric approach of his earlier work, using dramatic tonal contrast to model a single figure against a dark landscape. The enemy encampment visible in the distance, rendered with small clusters of light, creates compositional depth and narrative tension.
More Prints by Kobayashi Kiyochika
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Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
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The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Scout Reconnoiters the Enemy Encampment near the Yalu River (Waga sekkô Ôryokkô fukin ni tekijin o ukagau zu) was created by Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林清親).
Our Scout Reconnoiters the Enemy Encampment near the Yalu River (Waga sekkô Ôryokkô fukin ni tekijin o ukagau zu) depicts landscapes.