One of the preeminent artists of 20th-century China, Jiang Zhaohe (1904-86) left an oeuvre that integrates the precision and dimensions of Western techniques with the shading and layering of classic Chinese painting. His work was realistic, with strong humanistic tendencies and allowed him to present a vivid profile of ordinary people, especially those suffering from hardship.

In 1938, he painted Ah Q, an ink painting in which he portrayed the protagonist of The True Story of Ah Q, a 1920s novel by Lu Xun about people struggling.