A painting from the height of China's Cultural Revolution, depicting cheerful young labourers working in extreme conditions to build an aqueduct, remains a time capsule of Revolutionary Realism, preserving a piece of history from a bygone era.
In 1974, artists Sun Guoqi and Zhang Hongzan worked together to complete Divert Water from the Milky Way Down, a painting that depicts a group of young labourers building an aqueduct in the extreme cold of Northeast China. Smiling as they lean forward, these men and women are shown to be turning a device that hauls building materials, their enthusiasm and unity standing in stark contrast to their sweat and toil in the harsh surroundings.
The work was created in the style typical of political propaganda posters during the Cultural Revolution. To paint on such a large canvas—measuring 181.3 by 314 centimetres—was a luxury in what was at the time an impoverished country. The work adheres to many principles that underpin classical paintings. For example, the passionate-looking hero forms the focal point of the work and, abiding by the rule of thirds, he is positioned on the intersections that divide the image vertically and horizontally into three even parts. Meanwhile, his peers, full of vigour and high spirits, spread out like radiating rays behind him.
This detail of Divert Water from the Milky Way Down (1974) exemplifies the Revolutionary Realist style of the Cultural Revolution in China, depicting workers’ warm passion in stark contrast to the cold conditions and reflecting the era’s typical portrayals of cheerful collective effort. It also marked the beginning of artists Sun Guoqi and Zhang Hongzan’s careers. © Zhang Hongzan, Chen Yulan; M+ Sigg Collection, Hong Kong. By donation
The painting conveys an idealised reality. Despite their arduous work in the bitter cold, the figures all have clean clothes and cheerful demeanours. A female worker is prominently featured in the piece, accentuating the nation’s push for equal gender participation in the labour force. In fact, political symbolism is strewn throughout the work. For example, the central and most spirited figure is clothed in red as a representation of communism and is depicted in a positive light. This imagery reflects the dominant artistic style between 1949 and the period of the Cultural Revolution.
In 1942, Mao Zedong proposed that art should play an active part in politics in service of the people. As a result, Realism became the official style of art and literature for the Communist Party of China. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Socialist Realism, which idealised socialist ideologies and the working class, had a profound impact on the education and development of Chinese art. This style of art gradually transformed into Revolutionary Realism in China following the Sino-Soviet split in 1958.
Settle down in where the oil was found (1973) is typical of the Revolutionary Realism that dominated artist production for decades following the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. This art is defined by spectacular depictions of history, heroes, and socialist achievements. © Zhang Hongzan; M+ Sigg Collection, Hong Kong. By donation
Primarily functioning as political propaganda, Revolutionary Realism often drew from real people and events that were emblematic of the time. This school of art gradually developed its own set of concepts and principles. For instance, the principle of the ‘three prominences’ (三突出原則) shaped characters by first spotlighting the virtuous figures among all individuals, then the heroic among the virtuous, and, lastly, the central protagonist among the heroic. There was also the ‘red, bright, and luminescent’ principle (紅光亮原則) that was used to depict leaders, heroes, and the working-class public as strong, healthy, and radiant. The visual language required realistic, polished, and precise painting techniques, and the pictures were designed to be clean, glorious, and bathed in light. These works often showed strong dispositions and a great sense of elation, which were essential to highlight the fighting spirit in their themes and characters.
Divert Water from the Milky Way Down precisely embodies the above principles. The year the work was created, China launched a campaign to criticise Confucius and military leader Lin Biao. The campaign led to a so-called ‘Criticism of Black Paintings’ exhibition at the China Art Gallery (now National Art Museum of China) in Beijing that showcased 215 denounced works from eighteen artists who did not conform to the standards of Revolutionary Realism.
Wang Shilong’s Intercepting Underflow in Huixian City (1974) depicts thousands of workers digging a deep trench for an irrigation project. The image captures the project’s immense scale and is a typical example of official documentation of grand projects from the time. © Wang Wenya; M+ Sigg Collection, Hong Kong. By donation
As the Cultural Revolution came to an end, it also marked the fall of Revolutionary Realism. As the art critic Li Xianting put it: ‘The reopening of the doors in 1978 opened the floodgates to modern Western culture, and the traditions of Revolutionary Realism that were built from modern times to the Cultural Revolution frittered away in the hearts of many, especially young artists.’
In this sense, Divert Water from the Milky Way Down is like an insect fossilised in amber, preserving a piece of history from a bygone era.
The Chinese version of this article was originally published on 18 January 2023 in Ming Pao. It is presented here in edited and translated form. Originally authored by Lap-wai Lam, translated by Sophia Lam, and edited by Dorothy So.
Image at top: Sun Guoqi, Zhang Hongzan. Divert Water from the Milky Way Down (detail), 1974. Oil on canvas. M+ Sigg Collection, Hong Kong. By donation. © Zhang Hongzan, Chen Yulan
Lap-wai Lam is Senior Editor at M+.