The Foreign Pig Is Put to Death

The Boxers used brightly colored placards to spread information about their movement to build wide support among the Chinese population. They felt that the presence of foreigners had caused a series of disasters, including the defection of the Chinese from traditional religion, the flow of wealth from the country, and a string of natural disasters such as famine. This depiction shows the harsh judgment of the Boxers toward foreigners and their Chinese allies—they are pigs to be killed. (‘Je Su, the Pig, is put to death’, propaganda against the foreigners [woodblock print], Chinese School [19th century] / Private Collection / Bridgeman Images.)