近代 程十髮 雜畫 冊頁十四開|Various Subjects

Cheng Shifa

dated 1978 · Fan-shaped album of fourteen leaves; ink and color on Japanese paper · Asian Art

Born into a family of physicians in Songjiang, near Shanghai, Cheng Shifa began studying traditional painting at Shanghai Art College in 1938. After the liberation he became a successful illustrator of children's books and taught at the Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy, where he developed an eclectic style that combined traditional brushwork with Western drawing techniques using a pen. Cheng is best known for his figural subjects, but this album, entitled In Search of the Delightful, shows off his broad command of subjects and techniques. A number of the leaves openly celebrate the 1976 downfall of Jiang Qing, Mao Zedong's notorious wife and leader of the Gang of Four, which strictly controlled culture. The Monkey-King Beats the White-Boned Demon depicts the beloved hero of the epic Journey to the West and intrepid defender of the faithful attacking the White-Boned Demon, to whom Jiang Qing was often compared.

Artist

Cheng Shifa

Date

dated 1978

Medium

Fan-shaped album of fourteen leaves; ink and color on Japanese paper

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, in memory of La Ferne Hatfield Ellsworth, 1986