Procession of Russian Soldiers with Bayonets, from the Album of seven prints of Russian Army and Warship (Roshia seigi shashin kan)

Art Historical Context

This colorful woodblock print, titled “Procession of Russian Soldiers with Bayonets,” was created by the Japanese artist Keiga in 1853. As part of an album containing seven prints of the Russian army and warships, it vividly portrays a line of soldiers equipped with bayonets, showcasing their military attire and disciplined march. The year 1853 marked a crucial period in Japanese history, as the nation began to interact more directly with foreign powers after centuries of relative isolation. Prints like this one served an important documentary function, allowing people to see representations of Russian soldiers and their weaponry, which were novel and imposing sights. Utilizing the traditional medium of color woodblock printing, Keiga employed techniques that enabled detailed and colorful depictions suitable for mass production. This artwork not only demonstrates artistic skill but also holds cultural importance as a window into how Japanese artists and society perceived and recorded the arrival of Western military forces.

About the Artist

Keiga · 1786–1860

Kawahara Keiga (also known as Toyosuke or Taguchi Takumi) was a leading late Edo-period painter born in Nagasaki in 1786 as the son of the artist Kawahara Kozan. He received early training as an apprentice in the family print shop before studying under the prominent Nagasaki painter Ishizaki Yūshi (1768–1846), Inspector of Chinese Painting, with whom he formed a lifelong mentor-disciple relationsh...