When Mao dies in 1976, the struggle for his succession begins. On the one side there is Jiang Qing, Mao’s widow. With three confidants she forms what is called the ‘Gang of Four’. On the other side stands Hua Guofeng, a relatively inexperienced and unknown politician. But Hua manages to win and tries to breathe new life into the Mao era. On the posters he literally takes Mao’s place and is often portrayed exactly like his predecessor. Posters commemorating Mao’s death are scarce.
