Sculptural Revolution Space Race Ceramic Sculpture c.1967 - 1970

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A rare unique original sculpture, peasants ride a blasting missile holding a scroll reading "We will Catch Up to you … Read more A rare unique original sculpture, peasants ride a blasting missile holding a scroll reading "We will Catch Up to you America, and Exceed Britain", China, 20th c.

15"× 8"× 10.5"

Shortly after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Mao Zedong declared that art should serve the people. Until the mid-1960s, both the Soviet socialist realist style, based on European oil painting traditions, and the guohua ("national painting"), a modernization of traditional Chinese ink painting, were allowed to coexist. Everything changed during the Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976.
Forced to serve political and propaganda purposes under enormous pressure from guidelines of the Central Cultural Revolution Group, led by Mao's fourth wife jiang Qing, works of art were expected to foment revolution and, in her words, be "red, bright, and shining" (hong, guang, liang). Political woodblock prints and the Soviet socialist realist style, but with Chinese characteristics, provided the sanctioned models for the proliferation of posters, decorative objects, paintings, and Mao badges that would fuel revolutionary fervor and the cult of Chairman Mao and his thought.

Condition:Excellent original condition, well preserved, no issues. See less