War Defeat Group
Dublin Core
Title
War Defeat Group
Subject
敗戦群像 (Haisen Gunzō)
Description
A surrealist painting that depicts the artist's sentiment towards the defeat of Japan following the second world war. In the foreground, we see a heap of human bodies stacked up in a rough pyramid shape in front of a barren desolate landscape. Despite the gloom appearance, there are subtle visual clues that conveys Fukuzawa's hope for Japan's revival. For example, rather than being in a state of decay, the cadavers appear muscular and robust, as if they still possess the potential to lift themselves up.
Creator
福沢一郎 (Fukuzawa Ichirō)
Date
Shōwa 24 (1949)
Format
193.9 x 259.1 cm
Type
Oil on Canvas
Citation
福沢一郎 (Fukuzawa Ichirō), “War Defeat Group,” Japanese Art in the 20th century - Empire, War, Occupation, accessed May 23, 2026, https://empire-war-occupation-20thcent-japaneseart.artinterp.org/items/show/29.