"Kaigun shoko to seishin no senryaku toron suru zu" Possibly 1894

Editor: This woodblock print, "Kaigun shoko to seishin no senryaku toron suru zu" by Mizuno Toshikata, depicts naval officers in what seems to be a strategy meeting. I find the inclusion of the rifles on the floor particularly striking. What do you make of that detail, and the print in general? Curator: Consider the materiality of the print itself. Woodblocks were often commissioned by the state to mobilize the population. Here, the clean lines and clear depiction of military personnel implicitly endorse imperial authority. The rifles are not mere props but suggest mass production, which facilitated the rise of the military. What does it tell you about the modernizing war machine? Editor: That’s a fascinating way to contextualize the image. I hadn't considered the print as a form of, you know, propaganda through its very production. Thanks for that! Curator: Understanding art requires looking at the conditions that produced it.