7. Woodblock printing dated back to the 18th century and
thrived during the Ming and Qing periods, when artist
used them as illustrations in novels and new year prints.
The popular use of this technique and its humble origins
prompted intellectuals such as Lu Xun (1881 – 1936) to
use the medium as a mean to educate the public and
raise awareness of contemporary plight. In his
endeavours to do so, Lu Xun introduced modern works
by Kaethe Kollwitz (1867-1945) and others to Chinese
artists. Woodcuts proved to be an effective and affective
medium, as sharp incisions in black and white colours
are conducive to rendering visual drama that can aptly
express suffering and social ills. Woodcuts was deemed
an indispensable tool to advance socialism and combat
foreign aggression. The Lu Xun Academy of Arts,
established in 1938 by Mao Zedong and others in
celebration of Lu Xun’s legacy, trained woodcut artists in
Yan’an and organized multiple exhibitions.
8. As the prints were intended for the masses, many of whom were illiterate,
woodcut artists learned to formulate subjects and pictorial conventions that
resonated with the people and that gave a voice to the suppressed. The artists
sought the advice of their audience and revised their prints accordingly. For
instance, shading – a Western art technique used to render three dimensional
figures – was reduced, following peasants’ complaint of darkened faces;
colored prints were also introduced to enhance visual appeal for the people,
who were used to traditional Chinese images with vivid colours.
彥涵《搶糧鬥爭》
9. The war and Mao’s teaching had facilitated the “learning” process of the artists,
who were immersed in the peasants’ way of life. The artists made their own
carving knives from broken umbrellas or iron wires, which were smelt and
repurposed. Due to the lack of sandpaper, they polished the woodblocks against
stone steles. Painting and woodcuts were done on the paper locally made of
Malan weed, and were then pinned up on streets with thorns, distributed among
those in enemy-occupied regions, or kept by one’s side. These characteristics
contributed to the development of the “Yan’an school” of woodcuts.
彥涵《豆選》
18. 文樓 著:《藝苑隨想錄》。四川:四川出版集團、四川美術出
版社,2006年5月第1版
劉鳳霞:〈延安文藝與石魯及長安畫風〉,載莫家良 主編:
《學道揚塵.中國藝術史論文集》 ,香港:香港中文大學藝術
系,2003年12月初版,頁187-198
Edited by The Hong Kong Jockey Club University of Chicago
Academic Complex, The University of Chicago Francis and
Rose Yuen Campus in Hong Kong & CUHK Art Museum,"Art
of War - Chinese Woodcuts from Yan'an ca. 1944". Hong
Kong: The Art Museum Publication Revolving Fund, 1st
Edition in 2018
蕭滋 著:《出版.藝術.人生》。香港:三聯書店 (香港)
有限公司,2017年9月30日第1版
Immanuel C.Y Hsu, “The Rise of Modern China”. The
United States: Oxford University Press, 6th Edition in
December 1999