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This print is a portrait of Liu Zhidan, an early Communist
martyr from northern Shaanxi killed in a battle with the Nationalists
in the 1930’s. The people of northern Shaanxi are immensely proud
of Liu and consider him a hero of the communist revolution, because he
provided a sanctuary in northern Shaanxi for Mao’s Red Army at
a critical time after it was nearly decimated during the long march.
The influence of European-style woodcuts is evident. In the early 1930s
Lu Xun promoted the New Print Movement to popularize woodblock printing
as an inexpensive and effective way to produce didactic art for the masses. |
