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Lot Essay
Similar to the military subjects sketched by Wirgman at Yokohama and pubished in the Illustrated London News in 1866, for which see the exhibition catalogue Charles Wirgman, Kanagawa Prefectural Museum and the Kobe Municipal Museum, 1990, p.155, no.233.
After spending four years from 1859 based in Hong Kong as an illustrator for The Illustrated London News Wirgman travelled north to Japan where he remained for the rest of his life, witnessing the opening up of the country to Westerners at the beginning of the Meiji era. In 1862 he founded The Japanese Punch and continued to work sporadically for The Illustrated London News until 1887.
After spending four years from 1859 based in Hong Kong as an illustrator for The Illustrated London News Wirgman travelled north to Japan where he remained for the rest of his life, witnessing the opening up of the country to Westerners at the beginning of the Meiji era. In 1862 he founded The Japanese Punch and continued to work sporadically for The Illustrated London News until 1887.