- Hawks, Shelley Drake. The Art of Resistance: Painting by Candlelight in Mao’s China. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2017.
A book about artists during the Cultural Revolution who were labelled as “counterrevolutionary”. The book not only looks at the art made by the artists but their lives and how they endured the criticism and struggles of the Cultural Revolution. This book provides insight into Li Keran’s art as well as political motivations.
- Andrews, Julia. Painters and Politics in the People’s Republic of China: 1949-1979. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1995.
This book looks at art during the most repressive time in China in the 20th century. It discusses which art was accepted and which was criticized. The book also explains the politics and history of the time.
- Galikowski, Maria. Arts and Politics in China: 1949-1984. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press, 1998.
This book discusses the interaction of ideology and art in China during the peak years of Communist doctrine. Like the previous two books, it is politically charged. The discussion looks at the effect ideology had on art and how it changed the way art was made and looked at.
- Sullivan, Michael. Art and Artists of Twentieth Century China. Berkley: University of California Press, 1996.
This book is less focused on the politics in China during the 20th century and more focused on the art. It looks especially at the influences Western styles had on traditional Chinese art and the ramification of the clash between the two.
