Ogata Gekkō

In the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, peace negotiations began as the Japanese were contemplating marching on the city of Mukden in Manchuria. This print is an example of an event that never took place because the Japanese army never actually reached the city. Japanese war prints of this period were frequently produced even before military victories were announced, and their compositions were often dependent on the artist’s imagination or on descriptions of the battles relayed by war correspondents.

Mukden was the site of the Manchu emperor's summer palace in Manchuria. This print illustrates the Japanese advance toward that city in November of 1894. The print was probably made during the army's move, anticipating a victory that did not occur, as Mukden was never taken.