Picture of ‘White Stripe in the Waves’ Zhang Shun and ‘Black Whirlwind’ Li Kui Fighting in the Water

"Picture of 'White Stripe in the Waves' Zhang Shun and 'Black Whirlwind' Li Kui Fighting in the Water" (after February 1887) depicts two of the most colorful heroes from the Chinese novel "Water Margin" (Suikoden) in aquatic combat. Zhang Shun, the supernatural swimmer, and Li Kui, the violent axe-wielder, were among the most beloved characters in the novel's enormous cast. Yoshitoshi renders their underwater battle with the same dynamic energy he brought to land-based combat scenes, the churning water providing a powerful compositional backdrop.