Interior of a German Battleship
19th century
Medium
Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 14 1/4 x 28 7/8 in. (36.2 x 73.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Meiji period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of William S. Lieberman, 2005
Accession Number
2007.49.327
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the metallic heart of modernity with *Interior of a German Battleship a captivating triptych woodblock by the Japanese artist Unsen, created during Japan's transformative Meiji period (186–1912). Measuring 14¼ × 28⅞ inches, this ink-and-color-on-paper work unfolds across three sheets, offering a panoramic glimpse into the cavernous spaces of a Western warship. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art Department, it exemplifies how Japanese printmakers documented the era's technological marvels. In the late 19th century, Japan feverishly modernized its military to rival g...