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Yasuda Hanpo

Storming The Summit, Port Arthur (The Russo - Japanese War)

Yasuda Hanpo's original woodcut, Storming The Summit, Port Arthur (The Russo - Japanese War) is a triptych printed on Japanese mulberry paper and with full margins as published in 1904. This scene portrays an episode in the bloody siege of Port Arthur where some of the fiercest fighting in the history of the early twentieth century took place between the Russian and the Japanese ground forces during the Russo - Japanese War (1904-1905). Here, Hanpo depicts a Japanese officer approaching a Russian fortification in order to discuss terms. This is evident by the fact that he still carries the white flag of truce at his side, however, Russians soldiers continue to fire upon him and his men. Although the option to surrender was rejected by Russian officers after the loss of the Pacific Fleet in early December, 1904, by the end of December of that same year, the land siege had taken its toll, Fort Chikuan, Fort Erhlung, the last remaining major fortress, Sungshu (Sung-Shu), along with Wantai, the key fortress north of Port Arthur had all fallen. The Russians officially surrendered to the Japanese forces on January 2nd, 1905. Japan emerged from this war as a world power. This triptych is a fine original example of art created by Yasuda Hanpo and the Japanese Russian war.

Title:	Storming The Summit, Port Arthur (The Russo - Japanese War)
Artist:	Hanpo, Yasuda (Niigata prefecture, Japan, 1889 - 1947)
Date:	1904
Medium:	Original Japanese Woodcut 'Triptych'
Note:	Yasuda Hanpo: A fine Nanga-style ink painter and woodcut artist, Yasuda Hanpo was known for his delicate landscape paintings. Born in Niigata prefecture, Japan in 1889, his given name was Taro; go Hanpo and Koken. Hanpo studied art under the Japanese masters, Kodama Katei (1842-1913), Himeshima Chikugai (1840-1928), and Mizuta Chikuho (1883-1958). He was active from around 1904 until around 1940, a period dating from the Meiji Era (1867-1912), the Taisho Era (1912-1926) and into the early part of the Showa Era (1926-1989). Yasuda Hanpo was a founding member of the 'Japan Literati Painting Academy', (Nihon Nanga-in), a society of nanga-style painters which held its first annual exhibition in 1921. Its members included such artists as, Komuro Suiun (1874-1945), Yano Kyoson (1890-1965), Matsubayashi Keigetsu (1876-1963), Yamaguchi Hachikushi (1890-1933), Ogawa Sen'yo (1882-1971), Yasuda Hanpo, and others. Yasuda Hanpo was also a participant in many of the Nihon Nanga-in exhibitions which where held at the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo. He also participated in numerous Teiten exhibitions.
	Most of Hanpo's art, both paintings and woodcuts are in the form of landscapes, however, the artist created several works dealing with historical Japanese events, such as the two triptych woodcuts, Illustration of the Main Gate at Aoyama during the Funeral Ceremony (1912), and His Imperial Majesty's Funeral Outside Nijubashi (1912), and at least three woodcuts dealing with the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). The artist died in Niigata prefecture, Japan in 1947. The art of Yasuda Hanpo is now included in such collections as the British Museum of Art, the Harvard Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and elsewhere.
	The art of Japan’s Meiji era between (1868 & 1912) is celebrated both for its rich traditions and for its innovations. A strong influence upon Meiji era artists was the woodcut designs of Kuniyoshi (1798-1861). Students of this golden age artist included Yoshitoshi, Kyosai and most of the dominant designers of the Meiji woodcut.
	Kuniyoshi was most famous for his warrior prints portraying the heroic deeds of the legendary samurai and ronin. Throughout the latter nineteenth century artist continued to make woodcuts along these popular lines, but with the outbreak of war, first against China (1894) and then against Russia (1904-1905), Japan’s artist turned to contemporary events. The aim became to depict modern warfare and deeds of valor in a light comparable to the traditional warrior prints of Kuniyoshi and his time. Gone were the great samurai warriors, but recent events could inspire just as potent legends.
	Japanese woodcut art dealing with the war against China is quite plentiful. Prints portraying the war with Russia are much more scarce. This, combined with the great importance of the Japanese-Russian conflict, makes original woodcuts of this war extremely desirable.
	As mentioned earlier, Yasuda Hanpo created at least three scenes dealing with the Russo - Japanese War (1904-1905). These woodcuts depict the siege of Port Arthur on land and at sea. One set of three woodcuts (vertical format triptych) depicts the destruction of a Russian Flagship Petropavlovsk that sank after it hit a mine near the entrance of the harbour at port Arthur. The Japanese title reads; "Daihachi Ryojun kogeki no zu, koko ni waga fusetsu suirai Rosen Makarofu chusho shi su". An English translation is listed as; "The Picture of the eighth attack of port Arthur. The Flag-Ship of Russia was destroyed by the torpedo of our Navy and Admiral Makarov drowned" (commander Vice Admiral Stepan Osipovich Makarov '1849-1904', also spelt 'Stephan Ossipovitch Makaroff'), published by Sawa Hisajiro in 1904. Both the Museum of Fine Arts, accession number, 2000.70a-c, and Harvard Art Museum, Object Number 1978.180, include an impression in their permanent collections. Another striking set includes six oban sized woodcuts (horizontal format hexaptych), Illustration of the Furious Battle of Japanese and Russian Torpedo Destroyers outside the Harbor of Port Arthur , also published by Sawa Hisajiro in 1904. The Museum of Fine Arts, accession number, 2000.72a-f includes an impression it its collection. This original set of three oban woodcuts (horizontal format triptych) is the third known work portraying an episode in the bloody siege of Port Arthur, which eventually surrendered to the Japanese forces in January of 1905. Unlike the other two works, here, Yasuda Hanpo depicts a siege by land with Japanese soldiers storming the summit of port Arthur.
	An original woodcut published in 1904, Yasuda Hanpo's triptych, Storming the Summit focuses upon the fierce battles that took place between the Russian and the Japanese land forces during the Russo - Japanese War. It portrays an episode in the bloody siege of Port Arthur against the Russians. Here Hanpo depicts a Japanese officer approaching a Russian fortification in order to discuss terms. This is evident by the fact that he still carries the white flag of truce at his side, however, Russians soldiers continue to fire upon him and his men. Although the option to surrender was rejected by Russian officers after the loss of the Pacific Fleet in early December, 1904, by the end of December of that same year, the land siege had taken its toll, Fort Chikuan fell on December 18th, Fort Erhlung fell on December 28th and three days later, on December 31st, the sole surviving major fortress, Sungshu (Sung-Shu), also fell into the hands of the Japanese. After Wantai, the key fortress north of Port Arthur finally fell on January 1st, 1905, the defense of the eastern front collapsed and the Russians officially surrendered to the Japanese forces on January 2nd, 1905. Japan emerged from this war as a world power.
	The Russo - Japanese War provided some of the fiercest fighting in the history of the early twentieth century. It began in 1904 when the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the Russian Pacific Fleet based at Port Arthur, located on the Liaodong Peninsula, in Liaoning Province of Northeast China, also known as (Southeastern Manchuria), and Chemulpo Bay, now known as (Incheon, Korea), just after the breakdown of negotiations between Japan and Russia over control of Manchuria and Korea. Port Arthur (the only non frozen Russian port), was leased to the Russians by the Chinese, but was held by the Japanese since the Sino-Japanese War.
Size:	Oban (Triptych) (Sizes in inches are approximate, height preceding width of plate-mark or image.)
	UnMatted
Buy Now	Price: $795.00 US
Condition:	Printed on Japanese mulberry (rice) paper and with full margins as published in 1904. Containing minor creasing in the left panel and one small spot in the center panel (on the fortification) else a strong, full color impression and in good condition throughout. Storming The Summit, Port Arthur (The Russo - Japanese War) represents a prime, original example of art from the Japanese Russian war.
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Original Japanese Woodcut 'Triptych' by the Japanese artist, Yasuda Hanpo.

Storming The Summit, Port Arthur (The Russo - Japanese War)

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