Marian Kuo-ching Adkins Delon, Hampton and Associates Silver Springs, Maryland T he content of traditional Chinese painting for the most part consists of landscape, plants and trees, flowers and birds, insects and animals, and people. Whether by design or by accident, such a content range and the characteristic manner of execution result in a politically neutral expression. This expression is neutral in the sense that the artist does not consciously strive to communicate a particular political view. some instances where political expression in traditional painting has been identified, such expression is subtle and there is no bold departure from the established norms. This, however, has not been the situation in post-liberation People's Republic of China. Since the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949 artists have generally demonstrated not only a greatly differing content range in their work, they have also given their creative efforts a practical purpose unimaginable in the products of traditional painting. Although there is evidence that traditional style painting has regained some favor in China since the assumption of power by Hua Kuo-feng, most artists continue to regard their efforts in the same light as any other activity. That is, art is seldom separated from its political significance. addition to being tinged with political overtones, art is also seen as a political tool, and as such its political theme must be clearly and unambiguously expressed. This is generally referred to as the unity of art and politics. There have been fluctuations in the degree of unity, but is is generally acknowledged that the high point in the unification of art and politics was in the period between the end of the Great Cultural Revolution and the death of Chairman Mao Tse-tung, i.e., 1968-1976. During this period all art that was produced invariably bore the stamp of Chinese communist ideology. the period since Mao's death there has been an overall trend toward moderation in the political stance (the radicals were deposed) and this is reflected in painting, which shows a general though limited de-emphasis on the amount of political content expected in paintings.1 It should be noted, however, that this de-emphasis is only a matter of degree, and that the mainstream of Chinese art still is seen as a tool of the political process. tracing the origin of the concept of mandatory political content in painting it is necessary to refer to the writing of Mao Tse-tung. One very pointed statement says that, In the world of today all culture, all literature and art belong to definite classes and are geared to definite political lines. There is in fact no such thing as art for art's sake, art that stands above