The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 9, 2026

Defiance

1942
(Chinese, 1917–1997)
17.3 x 16 cm (6 13/16 x 6 5/16 in.)
© Liu Tiehua
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The Modern Woodcut Movement in China was initiated by Lu Xun (1881–1936), the father of modern Chinese literature.

Description

Yan’an prints were made by artists active in the military base of Yan’an, Shaanxi province, North China, at the end of the Long March (1934–1936) and during the continuing civil war and Japanese invasion in the 1940s. Prints were made to help support the effort to build a modernized state and fight the enemy. They illustrate battle scenes, and the effort to bring education and aid to the rural population. Prints were given to foreigners, such as aid workers, doctors, and soldiers who, it was hoped, would support Chinese social and military efforts.
  • (Annex Galleries, Santa Rosa, CA, sold to Tom and Patricia Ebrey)
    May 2013–2025
    Tom and Patricia Ebrey, Seattle, WA, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2025–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Art of Fighting China. Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY (November 11–27,1942).
  • {{cite web|title=Defiance|url=false|author=Liu Tiehua|year=1942|access-date=09 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.562