Underground Worker

This painting, also called Underground Printing Factory, was Hou Yimin’s graduation work for Konstantin Maksimov’s painting course. It depicts a scene of progressive young people secretly printing the propaganda publications of the party before liberation. It was inspired by a real incident the painter himself had experienced. Hou joined the Chinese Communist Party in October, 1948, and became a branch head of the underground party at Beiping Art School. He was in charge of developing and making contacts with the progressive teachers at the art school as well as rescuing comrades who had been arrested. Hou was a genuine revolutionary veteran at Beiping Art School. With young Hou Yimin and painter Zhou Sicong as the models, this painting reflects these senior CAFA members' "youthful memories of Communist activism".

This piece also marked the beginning of a series of revolutionary, historical paintings of Hou. Later creations, such as Yalu River across the Nation, Liu Shaoqi and Anyuan and Chairman Mao and Anyuan Miners, were continuations of this theme.