Painting History: China’s Revolution in a Global Context By Jiawe ...

the Soviet school of painting: the direct observation of nature, coupled with plein-air painting to capture the qualities of natural light.

I would get up at the crack of dawn to climb onto rooftops to sketch, seeking to capture the light on people’s faces and the shifting colors on the surface of the snow. In the composition of Standing Guard for Our Great Motherland, the position of the metal structure of the watchtower allowed the main figure to stand out against the background of the sky, and hence naturally conformed to the principle of the “three prominences.” Setting the scene at dawn allowed the sunlight to create a ruddy warmth on the men’s faces, and I was certain there would not be any conflict with the official guidelines. However, according to the subregulations of the time, the Soviet side had to appear to be under dark clouds and located on the right side of the canvas. Failure to conform to these requirements made one’s work politically incorrect.

I completed Standing Guard for Our Great Motherland in July 1974. In keeping with the practice of the times I did not sign the painting, but I wrote my name and work unit on the back of the canvas. In September, I was notified that the work had been selected for the Second National Art Exhibition, and in October I was on a steam train to Beijing on my way to see the exhibition. During the train trip, I had time to document the various stages in the creation of the painting. My notes were half true and half fabricated, because at the time any writing, even personal diaries, could be subjected to summary public scrutiny. Any politically incorrect words could bring disaster: it was imperative that even such notes conformed to the official guidelines.

I arrived in Beijing and walked into NAMOC and saw my painting hanging in the most prominent position of the circular exhibition hall, to the left of the center, but when I looked closer at my painting, I made a shocking discovery: the faces of the two soldiers had been reworked. Clearly, painting a picture as close to reality as possible was unacceptable: both soldiers now had fuller faces, ruddy complexions, and fierce expressions. Later, I heard that Jiang Qing had appointed