ZHANG JIANWEN
(b. 1920) Henan Province, China

"People's Hero: Liu Zhidan" 1975-1976
woodcut, 24 1/8" x 17 5/8"

This print is a portrait of Liu Zhidan, an early Communist martyr from northern Shaanxi killed in a battle with the Nationalists in the 1930’s. The people of northern Shaanxi are immensely proud of Liu and consider him a hero of the communist revolution, because he provided a sanctuary in northern Shaanxi for Mao’s Red Army at a critical time after it was nearly decimated during the long march. The influence of European-style woodcuts is evident. In the early 1930s Lu Xun promoted the New Print Movement to popularize woodblock printing as an inexpensive and effective way to produce didactic art for the masses.