“The cultivation of Chairman Mao’s image was the most monumental chapter within the art history of the Mao era (1942-1976). This was not only evident through the quantity and quality of the production, but more importantly, was shown through the deep mutual ties with the social politics, culture, and thought leadership in the age of the Mao era.

(Zou Yuejin, Fine Arts in the Age of Mao Zedong, Part One, Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House, 2005)

Visualization of Chairman Mao’s revolutionary era has become the important chapter in the restatement of history.Full-length Portrait of Chairman Mao, painted in 1966 by Jin Shangyi, reveals the artist’s ideals in portraiture. In Jin Shangyi’s opinion, “Portraits must resemble the person who is being depicted. However, physical resemblance is only one aspect. The subject’s character and state of mind must also be vividly and clearly expressed. Both aspects are indispensable. In portraits, it is much easier to achieve physical likeness, but if one neglects the subject’s character and mental state, it can hardly be seen as a real portrait, rather a technical exercise of art”. Jin further remarks that “the choice of composition must be very concise and powerful. Because the composition of portraits is relatively simple, the whole image must adhere strictly to the aesthetic principles. One should try their best to avoid unattractive structures, difficult movements, or messy backgrounds. The handling of movements and backgrounds must closely match one other. There should be no room for any interference with the image. The visual language should be succinct, simple, and expressive. Full-length Portrait of Chairman Mao conforms to both viewpoints. The spectator feels strongly affected by Chairman Mao’s charisma, and at the same time obtains composure in the midst of a hectic age thanks to the simplicity of the composition.

(Jiang Peng, Jin Shangyi and the Portrait of Chairman Mao, 2011 [Extract])