The Czech polymath Adolf Hoffmeister traveled China mainly to study Chinese art. This includes painting, graphics, paper cut-outs, The book is fascinating for a number of reasons. Now it gives us a snapshot of not only traditional Chinese art (dealt with in a thousand books), but modern Chinese art in the early 1950s. Caricatures of the UN General Assembly and the Statue of Liberty or Japanese war criminals and the US Army give insight into thinking in early Communist China and into that of the Czech author and artist who was also a diplomat.
The pictures by the Hoffmeister of artists, but also of ministers are very well done. And there are surprises - the title page from a satirical magazine with nationalities dancing around a picture of Mao or the pictures of folk art toys.
For those interested in Chinese art developments in early communist days, this book is an excellent choice.