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One sheet demount, Travel and Transportation
vintage travel poster for the South Manchuria Railway Co.
, created in a Western impressionist style by the artist Mayama K?ji around the 1920s or 1930s.
Visual Analysis
Artwork: The poster is an oil painting or a print designed in the y?ga style (Western painting technique). It depicts a lush green landscape with a shepherd and a flock of sheep, overshadowed by dark, stormy clouds but simultaneously illuminated by two prominent rainbows.
Style and Mood: The use of light brushwork and dramatic lighting, with light hitting the fields in the foreground, echoes contemporary Western impressionist painters. The overall mood is one of natural beauty and perhaps hope after a storm.
Text: The bottom section features the company name in English: "SOUTH MANCHURIA RAILWAY CO.", and in Japanese characters on the right. A small map is also included in the lower center, showing the railway lines in Manchuria and Korea.
Historical Context
Purpose: The poster was an advertisement intended to promote travel and tourism in Manchuria, which was under Japanese control at the time (often referred to as Manchukuo).
The Railway: The South Manchuria Railway Company was established by Japan following the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) and played a central role in Japan's economic and colonial expansion in East Asia.
Artist: Mayama K?ji was the in-house painter-designer for the SMR Company. |
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