Pyongyang

This print documents one of the decisive engagements of the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–95): the Battle of Pyongyang, fought on September 15, 1894, in which Japanese forces defeated the Qing garrison and occupied the Korean city. Gekkō was among the most active producers of sensō-e (war prints) during this conflict, generating hundreds of designs depicting battles, naval engagements, troop movements, and heroic individual actions. Pyongyang compositions by various Meiji artists typically show the assault on the walled city, artillery exchanges, or infantry advances across the terrain north of the Taedong River. Gekkō's war prints are distinguished by their compositional energy and their use of Western-influenced spatial recession alongside traditional Japanese figure conventions. Color in sensō-e tends toward bold contrasts — the deep blue of military uniforms, the smoke and fire of artillery, and the red and gold of regimental standards. The print would have been published quickly to meet public demand during the conflict, likely in ōban triptych or single-sheet format.