Evolving out of China’S age—old traditional folk painting，the genre of “farmer painting”refers to the works done by amateur artists who ale farmers，herdsmen，or fishermen by profession since the establishment of the People’S Republic in 1949．These paintings—featuring plain artistic language，pithy and vigorous style，rich coloring，exaggerated depiction，and profound motifs—-give an authentic and vivid description of the social changes that have taken place in the countryside over the past half century．