Chinese Cultural Revolution Poster

Dozens of caricatured faces crowd the sheet, many of them carrying placards.

This Cultural Revolution poster comes from China, dates to the 20th century and is titled Procession of Political Leaders. It is ink on paper. During the Cultural Revolution, posters were a major means of political communication in China, often lampooning figures who had fallen from favor through caricature. Here a long, dense procession winds across the sheet, with oversized heads, signs, banners and a sedan chair carried above the crowd. Three large black characters stand at the right beside a column of smaller text. Fine black line drawing fills almost every inch. It is 30.25 inches wide and 20.9 high.

Satire, drawn with a very steady hand.