Much of the
graphic arts produced in China in the twentieth century is politically
motivated and needs to be seen in the context of the tumultuous events
of the century. The
following is a quick recap of these decades.
By the beginning
of the 1900s many people felt that it was necessary to completely do
away with the old order. In
1912 the last Manchu ruler was forced to abdicate and the Republic of
China was established by the Nationalist Party, thus putting an end to
the 2000-year-old imperial system.
The new republic, however, was plagued with problems.
The political leadership was unstable and powerful regional
warlords posed a constant threat to unity.
By the 1930s, the fledgling Communist Party was gaining in size
and strength in Yan'an after being forced to flee there by the
Nationalists. The two
parties joined forces to fight the Japanese invasion in 1937, but civil
war resumed after World War II ended in 1945.
By 1949 the Nationalists had fled to Taiwan.
On October 1st of that year Mao Zedong declared the
founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Tianenmen Square. The establishment of the PRC would profoundly change the
arts in China.