Book by Friday 19 August
Mary Ginsberg
The colour red has a great many meanings in world cultures. Historically, red signified blood and, hence, sacrifice, danger and courage. This made it the right colour to stand for liberty in the French Revolution, touchstone of many later social and political movements. From the 19th century, red was the colour of socialism. This was readily adopted by the Bolsheviks I 1917, since, in Russia, red was colour of fire, holy war, salvation, hope and faith.
In revolutionary China, red used the past to serve the present, as the political connotations of red entwined with ancient cultural symbolism: red has long stood for fire, happiness, good fortune, success and honour. Bold colours were an essential element of Chinese revolutionary folk art, socialist realism and, ubiquitously, in Cultural Revolution imagery. This talk will survey red in China’s political art, up to today’s more subtle presentation.
Mary Ginsberg was the Curator of Chinese Collections at British Museum.
Please note: this lecture will be held at BathRoyal Literary & Scientific Institution (BRLSI)