Not currently on display at the V&A

Marx

Poster
October 1969 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Shanghai (printed)

This poster reproduces a portrait of Karl Marx (1818-1883), one of the founding fathers of Marxism-Leninism. Prints with the portrait of Marx, along with those of Lenin, Engels and Stalin, became very popular after the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, when the Chinese Communist Party embraced Marxism-Leninism as its guiding ideology. The four portraits were hung in Tian'anmen Square on important national celebrations: Marx and Engels were placed on each side of the Museum of History. This print was produced in Shanghai in October 1969, at the time of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).


Object details

Categories
Propaganda
Politics
Object type
Poster
TitleMarx (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Colour lithograph on paper
Brief description
Propaganda poster with a portrait of Marx, colour lithograph on paper, Shanghai, 1969
Physical description
Propaganda poster with a portrait of Marx
Dimensions
  • Height: 103cm
  • Width: 72cm
  • Height: 1030mm
  • Width: 724mm
Marks and inscriptions
  • Makesi (at the bottom)
    Translation
    Marx
  • Shanghai Renmin Meishu chubanshe chuban - 1969 nian 10 di 4 ci yinshua (2) shuhao: 4520 (20) (on the back of the poster)
    Translation
    Shanghai People's Publishing House, October 1969, 4th edition (2) number: 4520 (20)
Credit line
Given by Lady Heseltine
Subject depicted
Marx, Karl
Summary
This poster reproduces a portrait of Karl Marx (1818-1883), one of the founding fathers of Marxism-Leninism. Prints with the portrait of Marx, along with those of Lenin, Engels and Stalin, became very popular after the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, when the Chinese Communist Party embraced Marxism-Leninism as its guiding ideology. The four portraits were hung in Tian'anmen Square on important national celebrations: Marx and Engels were placed on each side of the Museum of History. This print was produced in Shanghai in October 1969, at the time of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).
Collection
East Asia Collection
Accession number
FE.8-2008

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Record createdJuly 23, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O164069/marx-poster-unknown/
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