Ye Qianyu (1907-1995) was born in Tonglu, Zhejiang Province and taught himself drawing in his youth. As a caricaturist, Ye was an influential figure in the Chinese arts scene. In the mid-1920s, he went to Shanghai and started to design commercial work, educational illustrations and stage props. In 1929, he started contributing his critical work to newspapers and journals. In 1937, Ye was one of the founders of the Cartoon Propaganda Corps, to support the struggle against the Japanese occupation. After 1949, he became Professor of Chinese painting at the Central Art Academy. In the late 1950s, Ye was branded a Rightist; from 1969-1975, he was imprisoned as a "Guomindang Spy". His name was cleared in 1978.