Various Subjects
Cheng Shifa Chinese
Not on view
Born into a family of physicians in Songjiang, near Shanghai, Cheng Shifa began studying traditional painting at Shanghai Art College in 1938. After the liberation he became a successful illustrator of children's books and taught at the Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy, where he developed an eclectic style that combined traditional brushwork with Western drawing techniques using a pen.
Cheng is best known for his figural subjects, but this album, entitled In Search of the Delightful, shows off his broad command of subjects and techniques. A number of the leaves openly celebrate the 1976 downfall of Jiang Qing, Mao Zedong's notorious wife and leader of the Gang of Four, which strictly controlled culture. The Monkey-King Beats the White-Boned Demon depicts the beloved hero of the epic Journey to the West and intrepid defender of the faithful attacking the White-Boned Demon, to whom Jiang Qing was often compared.
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