Japanese_official_war_artists
Japanese official war artists were commissioned to create artwork in the context of a specific war.[1] The artists were creating sensō sakusen kirokuga, 戦争作戦記録画 ("war campaign documentary painting") for the government of Japan.[2]
Official war artists have been appointed by governments for information or propaganda purposes and to record events on the battlefield;[3] but there are many other types of artists depicting the subject or events of war.
Between 1937 and 1945, Japan’s military leaders commissioned official war artists to create images of the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War. Approximately 200 pictures depicting Japan’s military campaigns were created. These pictures were presented at large-scale exhibitions during the war years.[2]