52.

Wang Qi (1918-2016)

Rhythm of the Street

1985

Woodblock print

42 x 28 cm

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In the 1980s, Wang Qi and other printmakers turned to modernism, rather than the propaganda of previous decades. Construction—building New China—had long been a favourite theme (no. 50), but here Wang redirects this subject, illustrating urban life without an ideological message. This is the second in a series of seven prints called Life in the Big City. The inspiration was clearly Frans Masareel’s 1925 series The City, but Wang’s cityscapes do not carry Masareel’s negative feel.

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Muban Educational Trust registration number wanqv040