Tanmeijiro Genshogo — the Water Margin hero Ruan the Seventh — was famed for his ability to fight underwater, and this print depicts him in his characteristic element: submerged in a river or lake, grappling with an enemy general beneath the surface. Kuniyoshi's rendering of underwater combat was among his most inventive compositional challenges, requiring him to convey aquatic space through swirling current lines and distorted light. The scene of Genshogo choking an adversary while both are submerged would have been one of his most visually startling designs.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
#52, Tanmeijiro Genshogo fighting General Ko underwater was created by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳).
#52, Tanmeijiro Genshogo fighting General Ko underwater depicts figures, rivers & lakes, and warriors.
