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The print depicts a bookstore patron, a “fan” of
books, browsing in a bookstore’s “science” section,
rather than the Party history or ideology sections. During the Cultural
Revolution, “book learning” was disparaged because being “red” was
valued over being “expert.” The sign on the door indicates “book
store,” rather than “Xinhua,” the official name of
the government-run bookstores throughout China, a subtle indication of
the early development of private or non-government collective enterprises.
The clerk at the desk also is reading a book. Compare this print to a
second version with the “Xinhua” sign on the door, the clerk
at the desk with no books, but watching the clock, seemingly uninterested
in books and learning. |
