In 1942 Chairman Mao declared that all art should honour the worker, peasant and soldier. It was a statement that had a huge affect on artistic output in the ensuing decades, with artists attempting to adapt their work to fit the regime, and often finding themselves persecuted. The new era of “national painting” followed the Soviet model, with realism dominating group portraits of proud citizens, usually against a backdrop of red. The William Morris Gallery in London has brought together posters, books and household objects that show the extent of the populist propaganda in a new show title Cultural Revolution, until 27 May
