Naval Battle at Port Arthur

Kokunimasa Utagawa (aka Kunimasa V) was a prolific woodblock print artist who worked across the Meiji, Taisho and Showa periods. Born in 1874 to the artist Hosai Baido (or Kunimasa IV), Kokunimasa worked in the Utagawa style, carrying the long line of Utagawa printmakers well into the 20^th century. As the role of the woodblock print changed in Japan, Kokunimasa adapted to popular demand. Kokunimasa produced senso-e, or “war prints,” during both the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), as well as genre scenes, actor prints and more, often depicted in the triptych format. Though the 20^th century brought new print movements, Kokunimasa remained true to aesthetic language of ukiyo-e. He also used the go, or "artist names," Baido and Ryukei.