As with much propaganda painting, the above image of Chairman Mao with the peasants is a realistic rendering of a symbolic event. A hyperbolic interpretation of an event, or perhaps even a representation of an event that did not take place. This of course could be said to be true of any number of paintings regardless of wether there is a political agenda behind that painting being made or not. It could also be argued that every painting has an agenda behind it, wether conscious or not. But if we look bellow we can see the stark contrast that can be made when we juxtapose a photographic representation with a painted representation. 
Here we see a very different representation of Mao with the peasants, where he himself is a representation, placed amongst them. It could be said that this image communicates a more realistic power relationship between ruler and peasant.
It is interesting to wonder weather Mao himself would have had approved of this image.
it is the instantaious captureing of a scene allowed by photography that changed the way propaganda works.
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