Many critics look at North Korean art, especially portraits of Kim Il Sung surrounded by adoring children in idyllic village scenes, and dismiss it as mere propaganda.

B.G. Muhn looks at the same work and marvels at the level of detail found in facial expressions and the delicate brush strokes that capture creases on pant legs.

In a nation where artistic themes are decided before the painter even sets the brush to canvas, the real creativity can be found in the artist’s mastery of technique and choice of color.

Muhn, an artist and professor at Georgetown University, is an encyclopedia