In 1929, Lu Xun’s woodcut popularization activities started the Chinese woodcut movement. The woodcut quickly became extremely popular and was exhibiting many influences from German Expressionism and Soviet Socialist Realism. Because it is easy to produce and distribute, the woodcut soon became a tool for spreading the Marxist ideology and at the same time resisting the Japanese occupation. After the 1942 Yan’an Forum of Literature and Art, the CCP slowly ceased using woodcut in favor of propaganda images, which were better suited for the general population. This dissertation thus presents this rather unknown but nonetheless important art medium which has accompanied many important political and historical events in the turbulent era of early 20th century China. The goal of this dissertation is to study the role of the woodcut movement in spreading political ideas and contributing to the transition from traditional Confucianist society to the communist system. The dissertation also studies the general socio-political background of the first half of the 20th century China and the reforms and novelties on the field of art and art education, which are mutually connected with Lu Xun’s woodcut popularization activities, and the foreign influences.
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