The artwork, "Samurai Battle Scene" painted in the 19th century, is a Japanese style artwork painted on a single four-fold screen in color and gold leaf on paper. In the painting, we get an overhead, almost birds-eye view of a samurai battle. Warriors are riding into battle on horseback, wearing armour and bearing weapons. The landscape is strewn with many bodies and horses and with the combination of diagonal parallel lines on the landscape creates the feeling of coordinated movement from the armies. Another factor of the painting, which catches the viewer's eye, are the clouds or fog overlaying the battle. The curves in the cloud also relay a feeling of smoothness and calm or even tranquillity, which is directly contrasted and even juxtaposed with the battle scene. This fog, or cloud, creates the simulation of a birds-eye view.
             The cloud contains a variety of possible meanings. One such meaning suitable for the scene is the saying referred to as "the fog of war." The painting conveys the confusion in a battle with certain parts and sections of the painting covered by fog, and the interruption to tranquillity it can impose.
             The clouds in the painting are balanced and strewn apart so that the viewer has an even view of the battle. The horseman and warriors are also evenly scattered and balance the painting. It is hard to determine which facto dominates the painting, the calm tranquil clouds or the haphazard confused battle scene. Perhaps it is fair to say both dominate equally. It is also arguable that the battle scene is in dominance as battle and the way of the samurai was a large concept in Japan those centuries ago.
             The aim of the painting seems to convey the concept of ¡°heroes and victims¡± in Japan's floating world. For centuries many samurai heroes and villains have inspired awe, sympathy, or horror among the Japanese people and have been immortalized in images. This artist may be trying to convey the valiant way...