[US Invaders Must Be Defeated]

[US Invaders Must Be Defeated] , 1951, by Poster Artist, Attrib. Gu Yuan (Chinese, 1919-1996).
Colour woodcut, dated "51.7" in image lower right, 80.3 x 54.5cm. Minor discolouration to margins. Linen-backed.
The following is an extract from the British Library concerning Chinese revolutionary prints: "The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) promoted new or 'revolutionary' nian hua as early as the second half of the 1920s. [Initially nian hua were mass produced prints to celebrate the 'Chinese New Year'.] Crucially, it was a uniquely 'national' form...something 'past' which could, to paraphrase Mao Zedong, 'serve the present.' But the communist authorities did away with subjects associated with religious and so-called 'feudal' beliefs, replacing them with revolutionary themes, and shifted production from local workshops to state supervision. In his important study of nian hua, James Flath (2004: 139) recounts a discussion between Mao Zedong and Gu Yuan, a famous print artist, about new nian hua: Mao 'suggested that Gu Yuan design new "Door Gods" to replace the traditional styles. "How shall I draw them," Gu Yuan asked; "You know, I don't believe there really are any gods." Mao answered, "Make them look like peasants."' Hung (2000: 779-780) notes that the Door Gods ultimately transmogrified into peasants, workers and soldiers: the Maoist trinity."