廣瀬武夫中佐（生前の最終階級は海軍少佐）は慶應4年（1868）、岡藩士の廣瀬重武の次男として豊後国竹田（現：大分県竹田市）に誕生しました。生まれ年は奇しくも、日本海海戦の勝利の日（海軍記念日）の5月27日で、平成30（2018）年には生誕150年を数えます。
日露戦争の2度にわたる旅順閉塞作戦で、自ら閉塞船に乗り組み最前線で戦い、2度目の作戦時に壮絶な戦死を遂げることになりました。戦死して中佐に特進した廣瀬武夫は、近代日本で初めて公式に「軍神」とされました。廣瀬が「福井丸」船内で杉野孫七を探し回る様子は、文部省唱歌「廣瀬中佐」によって広く国民に知れわたります。
作品は、廣瀬武夫中佐生誕150年を記念して開催された菅野泰紀鉛筆艦船画展のために制作したもので、同年、廣瀬武夫顕彰会を通じ、「軍神」廣瀬武夫をご祭神とする廣瀬神社に奉納されました。

Portrait of Lieutenant Commander Hirose Takeo
Lieutenant Commander Hirose Takeo (posthumously Commander) was born in Keio 4 (1868), in the Oka domain to Hirose Shigetake, his second son, in the the province of Bungo Taketa town. (present day Oita prefecture Taketa city) In a mysterious way, he shares his birthday with the day of the Battle of Tsushima, (Navy Anniversary Day) May 27th, Heisei 30 (2018) marks the 150th anniversary since his birth. In the second operation against Port Arthur in the Russo-Japanese war, he was on the blockship, at the front of the action, in which he bravely perished. In contemporary Japan, he was elevated to the status of War God. He, along with Sugino Magoshichi on the Fukui Maru, were celebrated in a song created the Education Ministry, which was sung across the nation.
This work, which I created to celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth is included in the Sugano Art Studio Fu pencil drawing exhibition, this year, through the Hirose Takeo Remembrance society, this work will be dedicated to the “War God” Hirose Takeo at the Hirose Shrine.