Weeks 2-5: Art, Empire and War (1930-1945)
Dublin Core
Title
Weeks 2-5: Art, Empire and War (1930-1945)
Collection Items
Japan: Where the Sun Rises
A landscape of Mt. Fuji rising from the mist alongside a crimson red sun in the sky. This painting is filled with nationalistic sentiment
Forbidden City
A painting of the famous Forbidden City in Beijing, China. Umehara Ryuzaburō is intrigued by Chinese culture and history during his time living in Beijing. He even rented an apartment right next to the Forbidden City so he can get a good view.
Morning Sun over the Pacific Ocean
A painting of a sailboat at sea in front of a rising sun. This seemingly tranquil image hides a subtle message of Japanese hegemony and ambitions across the Pacific.
Meeting of Generals Yamashita and Percival
This painting depicts the historic British surrender of Singapore to the Japanese after the Battle of Singapore in 1942. At a small office of an automobile factory, General Arthur Percival meets with General Yamashita Tomoyuki to sign the official…
Self-portrait
Aimitsu's self-portrait at 37 years old. The unique characteristic of his self-portraits is how he tend to paint himself squinting his eyes, looking intently into the distant, as if transfixed at a point.
Hunger and Thirst
Compared to Miyamoto's many war paintings, Hunger and Thirst is special in many ways. First, it wasn't commissioned by the military nor is it based on any specific military event or photograph. Miyamoto's conception for this painting came purely from…
Refugees
"Refugees" is a life-sized scroll that portrays the suffering of Chinese denizens during the Sino-Japanese war. It came out near the end of the war in 1943, and is an artistic plea for a ceasefire between China and Japan. One of Jiang's best skills…
Capturing a View
This painting was completed one year after Japan has started its full-scale invasion against China. Despite the innocuous looking image of a girl with a camera, the painting has subtle nationalistic messages. The camera conveys a message about…
Morning Coolness
A depiction of Lin's future wife in a Kimono next to two goats, in front of a wall of morning glories. This work was accepted by the Shin Bunten exhibition.