Shandong Province Yangjiabu Nianhua Workshop

2. The Children Are Playing 1950 25 x 34 cm Polychromatic; shuiyin on daolin paper Feng Zhen (b. 1931, Guangdong, Gaungzhou), artist A group of children "struggle against" two other children, one of whom is dressed as a "foreign capitalist" and carries an airplane in his hand. The name Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek) is written on the placard dangling from the neck of another child, who wears a death mask and represents a "feudal landlord." Two children wear the green uniforms of the Peoples Liberation Army, and a third carries the red-tassled spear used by the peasant militia. Both boys and girls take part in the action. The title The Children Are Playing is engraved in the plate, but in an article called "New Year's Pictures--A People's Art," of 1950, the cartoonist and art cadre Cai Ruohong calls the print "Knock Down Chiang Kai-shek" and comments: "Even the children understand Chiang's treacherous relationship with U.S. Imperialism, as revealed by their games." A popular slogan in the first years after the founding of the Peoples' Republic of China was, "we have overthrown three, huge, oppressive mountains--imperialism, feudalism, and capitalism--and we stand up as masters." 3. The Family of the Glorious One n.d., but early 1950s 22 x 32 cm Polychromatic; shuiyin on daolin paper On the right, villagers bring a wheelbarrow filled with presents to a soldier's family, whose members wear red paper flowers signifying their merit. The large red banner, above, extols "the family of the glorious one." The small banner on the cart proclaims, "support the army and give preferential treatment to the families of soldiers." Written at the upper edge of the print is a poem: Every glorious flower is red./Your children are heroes/They contribute great achievements serving our country/You, the parents, are also glorious. 4. Welcoming the Great Construction of the Motherland 1953 34 x 50 cm Polychromatic; shuiyin on daolin paper Villagers perform the traditional North China New Year's dances, yangge and Lion Plays with the Embroidered Ball. A dancer carrying a ball precedes the lion, while other dancers carry banners with the slogans (right) "develop production" and (left) "celebrate a good harvest." In the 1940s and early 1950s, the traditional yangge folk dance (which included elements of drama) was revived by soldiers from the People's Libertion Army. New words, conveying Communist content, were put to the old musical accompaniment, and the dances were performed in hundreds of towns and villages, particularly in celebration of the army's entrance into an area newly won from the Guomindang.   5. Celebrate the New Year n.d., but early 1950s 23 x 32 cm Polychromatic; shuiyin on daolin paper The family celebrates with feasting and music. Written at the upper edge of the print is a poem in a popular rhyming style that reads, "Celebrate the New Year, celebrate the New Year, this will be a year of abundance, every family will have more than enough [to eat], everyone will have new clothes, everyone old and young, men and women and children, be happy and welcome a more abundant year." Pasted on the wall behind the table are couplets that read, "union gives strength" and "helping each other brings greater rewards." A shock of corn hangs from the wall, demonstrating the plentitude of food. 6. Water Reservoir 1959 35 x 58.5 cm Polychromatic; shuiyin on Chinese paper Shi Banghua, artist; Wang Taiping, engraver All traditional symbols of happiness and plenty, fat boys ride giant carp among lotus plants. "Water Reservoir" is written on the pavilion cresting the dam which, together with the electric pylons, convey the message that socialism has brought about these improvements.