Published 1895, Nisshin ryôkoku no taikan kômei o mattoshite yoku heiwa no kyoku o musubu (Japanese and Chinese Dignitaries Accomplish Their Missions in Successfully Concluding a Peace Treaty) belongs to Sino-Japanese War Triptychs. This design belongs to Gekkō’s imagery of the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894–95, a conflict over influence in Korea that ended with China’s defeat and the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Such triptychs circulated rapidly in Japan as a hybrid of illustrated news, military spectacle, and nationalist propaganda; their dramatic narratives should not be read as neutral records of combat.
The negotiations culminated in the Treaty of Shimonoseki in April 1895. The treaty recognized Korean independence from Qing influence, ceded Taiwan and the Pescadores to Japan, and imposed a large indemnity on China. The catalog identifies men and war among the principal motifs. Gekkō uses their relationship to clarify action, season, setting, and narrative emphasis rather than treating them as interchangeable decoration.
The three-sheet format creates a broad visual field suited to simultaneous action, opposing forces, processions, or panoramic space; the joins between sheets also structure the narrative rhythm.
Additional information
| Editions | First Edition |
|---|---|
| Size | Oban triptych |
| Subjects | men, war |
| Year Published | 1895 |
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