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Stock# 89352

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Anonymous

Title

(The Cold War - The Cultural Revolution) 炮打司令部 [Bombard the Headquarters]

Publication Place / Date

n.p. (China) / 1966

Image Dimensions

18 x 27.5 inches (with bottom text)

Color

Condition

Stock# 89352

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Description

Important image of Mao Zedong at the start of the Cultural Revolution, showing the Chairman executing his "My First Big-Character Poster" that he would use to denunciate Liu Shaoqi, Chairman of the People's Republic, in August of 1966.

The poster shows Mao in typical propaganda format, standing tall and with a nearly saint-like halo emanating from his head. The extensive use of red pigment needs no explanation. Mao's desk is stark, with only a small lamp and few personal belongings included.

The three months before the creation of Mao's "Big Character Poster" are critical to understanding the impact of this printed poster. The 1966 May 16 notification was the initial impetus for a burgeoning reactionary movement. On this day, Mao released a text that summarized his explanation regarding the need for a cultural revolution, He claimed that bourgeois elements were hiding within the party, and that it was ripe for a purge.

The main target of Mao's initial purge was his rival Liu Shaoqi, then Chairman of the People's Republic. Mao stoked dissent and showed himself as ready for war, going so far as to swim across the Yangtze River to prove his fitness. The Red Guards reached out to Mao to call for an upheaval, which he gladly accepted. He drew up a broadside denouncing Liu Shaoqi, which was quickly circulated and reproduced. This "Big Character Poster," as it came to be called, became so legendary that posters were made not replicating the original, but showing Mao in the act of its creation.

Condition Description

Dampstain to left of image. Minor corner tear in the upper right. Minor soiling.