Chinese Posters The IISH-Landsberger Collections

A country's propaganda posters are more than a collection of a government s messages to and demands of its people. They are also a valuable record of a country's challenges and fears as well as a reflection of its cultural mores. Opening with a brief introduction to the history of graphic arts propaganda in China, this volume presents the posters chronologically, allowing readers to witness changes in style as the subject matter follows seismic changes in Chinese history, such as the building of the People's Republic, the Korean War, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution and its iconic leaders, the growing acceptance of modernization and economic reforms, and China's current status as one of the most rapidly developing countries in the world. The book s posters are drawn from the renowned International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, arguably the Western world s largest and best collections of Chinese posters. Boldly colourful full-page illustrations allow for a true appreciation of the design skills and artistry that makes the propaganda poster a legitimate and fascinating aspect of China s artistic history.

About the Author
Stefan R. Landsberger is Olfert Dapper Professor of Contemporary Chinese Culture at the University of Amsterdam and Lecturer in Contemporary Chinese History at Leiden University, The Netherlands. Marien Van Der Heijden works with the poster collection of the International Institute of Social History. Kuiyi Shen is Professor of Art History at the University of California, San Diego. He has published many books on modern and contemporary Chinese art.