Painting is a science. When it comes to painting the human body, we should follow the path
of Xu Beihong [2], and not Qi Baishi [3]. Circulated by the Central Cultural Revolution Group,
stored in the General Office Secretariat.
Mao Zedong
August 4

[1] This comment was written on a letter from Zhang Jichun, former vice minister of the
Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee and director of the State Council's
Office of Culture and Education, to Mao Zedong and the Central Committee on July 27, 1967.
In the letter, Zhang Jichun talked about the use of models for human body sketching in some
art schools in recent years, and expressed his consistent views and his understanding of Mao
Zedong's previous instructions. He said that if you want to draw the human body, you
certainly can't do it without realism and models. But it seems that it is not necessary to hire
models from the society, and other methods can be considered instead. The letter ended
with: "I didn't say that 'the Chairman's approval cannot be implemented'. I advocated the
use of models, but I just put forward some new ideas on the solution." During the "Cultural
Revolution", Zhang Jichun was wrongly criticized and persecuted to death in 1968. In
January 1979, the CPC Central Committee completely rehabilitated him.
[2] Xu Beihong, a famous painter, was good at oil painting, Chinese painting, and especially
sketching. He was the president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the chairman of the
All-China Artists Association.
[3] Qi Baishi, a famous painter, seal engraver, and calligrapher, was especially good at
Chinese painting. He was the honorary president of the Beijing Chinese Painting Academy
and the chairman of the China Artists Association.