Chinese Cultural Revolution Poster

A black-and-white face, the size of a window, on soft woven paper.

Chinese printers of the Cultural Revolution made this portrait poster in ink on paper in China in the 20th century. Large monochrome portraits were widely displayed in public buildings. A man in a high-collared tunic looks out in black and white, with fine tonal shading that gives the face a photographic quality. The sheet has a pale, slightly fibrous paper with a gentle weave-like texture and a crinkled surface. The dark ground sits within a narrow white margin.

About 28 by 21 inches. Serious and quiet, in grayscale.