Mao Zedong (also spelled Tse-Toung), the iconic figure and absolute leader of Communist China and leader of the Cultural Revolution in China, was also surprisingly a calligrapher and graceful and eloquent poet. In the midst of the Cultural Revolution in China, soon followed by May 1968, riots in France, Pierre Argillet brought the book of “Poems” by Mao Tse-Toung to Dalí. Tickled, the artist decided to create eight illustrations, some of which were political satires. The “Hundred Flowers” are shown as towering fleurs-de-lis, symbols of royalty, with people attempting to reach them. © Dali – Argillet Collection.