Gu Yuan’s printmaking was influenced by German printmaker Kathe Kollwitz and French painter Miller, impressing people with strong power and simple emotion. In the early 1940s, his works transformed from “black” to “white”, then changed again after 1944, when he began to pay more attention to the combination of content and style, and focused on spiritual expression.

Birthday of An Aged Cook depicts a moment when people celebrated the birthday of an ordinary cook. The dark surrounding indicates that the birthday celebration takes place at night. Two burning candles illuminate the center of the picture and lead to a centering composition. Against the candlelight, the cook, together with a group of figures around, constitutes the main body of the picture. People gather towards the simple and honest cook with birthday gifts. Although it is night, the cook greets them with his apron on. Behind the cook, a group of performers dressed as musicians sitting while playing musical instruments and opera actors become the sub-main body. They face the audience with high spirit. Audience at the front row in foreground are generalized by their backs, which finishes the whole composition as a closed loop, and leads viewers’ attention to the main figures illuminated by candlelight. On the back wall hang the flag of “longevity” and banner of “gaining vigor with age”, further bringing out the theme.

(Edited by Li Hanning & Yang Zhige, 2021)