Designer unknown (佚名)
1977, October
The great leader and teacher Chairman Mao Zedong
Weidade lingxiu he daoshi Mao Zedong zhuxi (伟大的领袖和导师毛泽东主席)
Publisher: Renmin meishu chubanshe (人民美术出版社), Beijing
Size: 77x53 cm.
Call number: BG E13/123 (Landsberger collection)

This is one of many versions of Mao's official portrait. Based on a photograph, it was worked out by a group of artists, who were never identified at the time. The portrait should be Mao, not a work of art created by an artist.

This version was on Tian'anmen Gate from 1963/1964 to 1967 only, but remained the most popular version as poster. The total print run is estimated at over a billion (1,000,000,000, i.e. one thousand million), making it perhaps the most reproduced portrait ever. The poster shown here is from the 157th edition of this publisher alone.