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William Chon Prof. Tsultem History of Art R1B 9 August 2011 The Almighty Mao Zedong Just as Mao Zedong (1893-1976) was an eminent figure in twentieth-century Chinese revolutionary history, he also was a major subject in twentieth-century Chinese art. Ever since Maos abrupt rise to power in the Communist Party of China (CPC) during the Long March (1934-1935), paintings depicting the leader have been done as integral expressions of the common will both of the officials responsible for cultural policy at the time and of the artists themselves. In this sense, portrayals of Mao became increasingly benevolent, sacrosanct, and lofty as the CPC regime tightened its grasp on artwork. Liu Chunhuas (1944- ) 1967 masterpiece, Chairman Mao goes to Anyuan (Figure 1), which characterizes Mao at his apogee, glorifies him exponentially in comparison to earlier paintings of the leader. Liu Chunhua, then a student at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, painted Chairman Mao goes to Anyuan as part of a political campaign to criticize Liu Shaoqi (1898-1969) and to help Mao regain power after his hiatus following the Great Leap Forward (1958-1961).1 This painting was done concurrently with the Red Guard movement that proliferated throughout China from 1966 to 1967. Among the tens of

Melissa Chiu and Zheng Shengtian, Art and Chinas Revolution (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008), 119.

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millions of artworks produced by Red Guards during these two years, this painting was officially endorsed by Jiang Qing (1914-1991), Maos last wife, as a masterpiece. The painting in itself is unique. While virtually every painting of Mao during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) depicted the leader among masses of smiling proletarians, Chairman Mao Goes to Anyuan did the exact opposite. Because of this, when Liu first submitted his blueprints to the Fine Arts Unit for approval, the review committee denounced them. The sketches provoked two compelling objections: One was that it was not good to portray Chairman Mao as a solitary figure, because it would give the impression that he was separated from the masses; the other was that showing clouds in the sky was a bad idea, because Chairman Mao was the Red Sun. He should be set amid bright sunlight, not against a murky sky. 2 Although Liu never gained full approval to start his painting, he took peoples criticisms as an impetus in painting his oilon-canvas magnum opus. When first exhibited in the Museum of the Revolution, Liu Jucheng, the person in charge of artistic activities for the Cultural Revolution Group, stated that this painting should not be displayed, not because he was opposed to the exhibition itself, but rather because he was afraid it would attract too large an audience and things might get out of hand.3 In effect, it was this anomalous depiction of the Great Leader that led to the paintings meritorious success. The delineation of Chairman Mao as a solitary figure in Lius painting is done by representing him as monumental and larger-than-life. As Edgar Snow, an American

2 3

Chiu, 125. Graham Young, Vanguard Leadership and Cultural Revolution Activism, in Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs 3 (Jan. 1980), 46.

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journalist famous for his commentary on communism in China described, [Mao Zedong] is to [the Chinese] Confucius plus Lao-tzu plus Rousseau plus Marx plus Buddha4 In the painting, Maos perfect, magnanimous posture stretches directly into the sky, linking him as a figure of heaven. Below him lies a never-ending stretch of mountaintops. The connection between Mao and the background makes him godlike in the sense that he single-handedly conquered the ranges behind him. This sense of divinity is further bolstered by Mao Zedongs light garb, showing his stalwartness in withstanding the frigid weather above the clouds. It is this glorification of Mao against the monumentality of the background that shows his absolute authority during the Chinese Revolution. The figure of Mao, himself, contains distinguishing details that resonates his influence to the audience. Despite the hellish trek across the mountains behind him, Maos youthful face is marked with serenity and vigor, giving off a poignant sense of intrepidness. His left hand, clenched tightly into a fist, reinforces the notion of potency. Maos feet, right foot extended in front of the left, shows that even while in mid-stride, his physique remains flawless, exaggerating a clear sense of stamina and omnipotence. Also, in concurrence to the simple robe, Mao is equipped only with a lone umbrella, without any supplies or food. This Spartan portrayal of Mao, traversing the mountains without protection or provisions other than that of his simple robe and umbrella, supplements the notion of divinity. Not only did this painting attract considerable amounts of viewers, but it also found its way into the homes of many Chinese through various mediums that included

Jerome Ch'en, Mao (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1969), 131.

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figurines, posters, woodcuts, and memorabilia. The manifestation of this painting to all corners of China makes it a hallmark of the Cultural Revolution. Similarly, it is these favorable depictions of Mao that were promoted into the late twentieth and early twentyfirst century, as Chinese government censorship of most information on the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution meant that many people, and in particular the young, could partake in the luxury of a positive nostalgia for the past. 5 When comparing earlier paintings of Mao that survived to the present day against Chairman Mao Goes to Anyuan, there are overwhelming differences. In one of the earliest paintings of Mao Zedong, Mao and the Red Army Cross Mt. Min (1930s) (Figure 2), Mao and his followers are depicted navigating the treacherous, snowcapped wilderness on the Long March to Yanan. Similar to first painting, Mao is traversing across alpine terrain with mountains in the background, suggesting an unending journey. In this painting, however, Mao is dressed comfortably for the algid weather, wearing multiple layers of clothing and a parka. Consequently, it is Maos uniform that strips him of his divinity. In the first painting, Maos minimal equipment shows that he has the ability to overpower the forces of nature. In this painting, that aspect is relinquished, as he has to rely on artificiality to survive the hiemal weather. Maos lone figure of the first painting is completely contrasted by the emphasis of unity among comrades in this painting. Although Mao holds a statuesque pose in front of his accompaniments, his presence is muted by the monotony of beige that encompasses him. Once again, Maos uniform detracts from his prestige because the soldiers

Geremie Barme, Shades of Mao (Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe Inc., 1996), 19.

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surrounding him adorn similar outfits. In fact, the only difference between Mao and the neighboring troops the absence of a hat, revealing his distinguishable hairstyle. Because there are so many distinct faces in this painting, it is Maos particular bouffant-esque haircut that definitively sets his character apart from the rest. In turn, this particular relegation to hair as a motif to set the Great Leader apart shows the trivialness of enhancement on Mao in this painting. With substantial emphasis on togetherness and camaraderie, the soldiers surrounding Mao are definitely an integral part of the composition. The arrangement, body positions, and expressions of the troops give off a collective sense of confidence and accomplishment that humbles the drab and pallid landscape. However, this should not be the case. The Long March was a brutal campaign, stretching over 12,500 kilometers and lasting 370 days, while leading to tens of thousands of Red Army casualties.6 Similar to Chairman Mao goes to Anyuan, Mao and the Red Army Cross Mt. Min contains exaggerations and bends in reality in order to effectively promote the regimes mission. In fact, this painting does a sterling job at visually replicating a poem written by Mao Zedong in 1935, The Long March: The Red Army fears not the trials of the Long March And thinks nothing of a thousand mountains and rivers. The Wuling Ridges spread out like ripples; The Wumeng Ranges roll like balls of clay. Warmly are the cliffs wrapped in clouds washed by the Gold Sand;
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Chunhou Zhang and Edwin Vaughan, Mao Zedong as Poet and Revolutionary Leader: Social and Historical Perspectives (New York, NY: Lexington books, 2003), 65.

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Chilly are the iron chains lying across the width of the Great Ferry. A thousand acres of snow on the Min Mountain delight My troops who have just left them behind. 7

The painting, like the poem, dignifies the successes of the Red Army, while largely disregarding the failures.

Looking again at the context of the Long March and comparing it to that of the Cultural Revolution, it was essential that Maos characterization was differentiated. The Long March, a subset of the lengthy civil war between the CPC and the Kuomintang, required that the portrayal of Mao be done in a naturalistic fashion, with little embellishment. This roughness and reality in depiction helped to create the impression that Mao Zedong was a leader of guerilla warfare, and not some supernatural deity. Similarly, the notion of alliance and amity, reinforced by the red flags and uniforms in the painting, appealed to mobilize support. Also, unlike the target audiencehundreds of millions of peasants, workers, and farmersof Maos later rule, the intended adherents for the second painting was a notably smaller group of CPC loyalists. While both paintings are considered propaganda because they promote the Communist regimes cause, the extent to which Mao was glorified is comparably different. In the first painting, Liu goes to extremes in aggrandizing Mao, painting him in a manner that promotes him as a deity. The second painting does little embellishment to

Modern History: The Long March, by Mao Zedong (New York, NY: Columbia University, East Asian Curriculum Project), [http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/china/modern/long_mao.htm] (accessed August 6, 2011).

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Mao himself, but a lot is done to augment the collective of soldiers as a whole. Reflecting on what particular events influenced artwork in twentieth-century China, we can see that Mao, during his apotheosis of rule in the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, required that his depictions be glorified to the highest extent. The result: Mao Zedong became a God.

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Works Cited Barme, Geremie Shades of Mao. Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe Inc., 1996. Chen, Jerome. Mao. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1969. Chiu, Melissa, and Zheng Shengtian. Art and Chinas Revolution. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008. Modern History: The Long March, by Mao Zedong. New York, NY: Columbia University, East Asian Curriculum Project, [http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/china/modern/long_mao.htm] (accessed August 6, 2011). Young, Graham. Vanguard Leadership and Cultural Revolution Activism. Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs 3 (Jan. 1980): 45-46. Zhang, Chunhou, and Edwin Vaughan. Mao Zedong as Poet and Revolutionary Leader: Social and Historical Perspectives. New York, NY: Lexington books, 2003.

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Paintings used

Figure 1: Chairman Mao Goes to Anyuan (1967)

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Figure 2: Mao and the Red Army Cross Mt. Min