View on the Tokaido, the Spot Where Mr. Richardson Was Murdered
東海道の風景、リチャードソン氏殺害の現場
- Birth Year
- 1834
- Death Year
- 1909
- Date
- ca. 1863–70
- Technique, Material, Format
- hand-colored albumen print
- Dimension
- 19.0 x 29.3 cm
- Category
- Photograph or Moving Image by ForeignPhotographer/Artist
- Inventory Number
- 84-PHF-008-22
The date is August 21, 1862, in present-day Tsurumi Ward, Yokohama City. Four British nationals come across a group from the Satsuma domain. A slight is perceived and they are attacked, with one of them, Richardson, being killed. This is the so-called Namamugi Incident, which triggered a war between Satsuma and Britain. The photograph, which shows the spot where the incident took place, was taken by Felice Beato, a Yokohama-based news photographer. The three men blocking the road convey the tension of the moment, but Beato does not place them in the center of his shot. Instead a large tree with strong branches and a thick trunk occupies the center. Through careful framing of the scene, Beato attempts to capture its atmosphere.
(YATSUYANAGI Sae)