As North Koreans poured into the streets Monday to mourn the death of leader Kim Jong-il at age 69, there’s no better time to examine the role propaganda art played in the country’s all-embracing personality cult. The portraits featured here were part of Flowers of Kim Il-sung, a controversial 2010 exhibit in Vienna that featured 16 artworks starring Kim and his father, the “Eternal President,” who passed away in 1994.

As North Koreans poured into the streets Monday to mourn the death of leader Kim Jong-il at age 69, there’s no better time to examine the role propaganda art played in the country’s all-embracing personality cult. The portraits featured here were part of Flowers of Kim Il-sung, a controversial 2010 exhibit in Vienna that featured 16 artworks starring Kim and his father, the “Eternal President,” who passed away in 1994.

Tags: Kim Jong Il North Korea