Sua soan ky niem ngay "19 Thang 5" [Prepare to celebrate May 19]

Poster depicting a peasant family inside their home, preparing to celebrate Ho Chi Minh's birthday on May 19th. In the foreground, a man write a large letter, with the translation of the texts reading; 'My family respectfully wishes President Ho long life'. On the back wall of the room hang a portrait of Ho Chi Minh and the North Vietnamese flag. During the 1950s and 60s in Vietnam, poster artists often worked in a social-realist style promoted by the state, with art serving propaganda purposes. The most important and patriotic subject matter in posters was realistic portraits of peasants, workers and soldiers. Ho Chi Minh, in particular, felt that art must 'speak to the masses' and artists took on a new role, fighting in the struggle for independence and national liberation. The posters were important in an ideological campaign that sought to promote a high regard for labour, collectivism and patriotism, during a period of socialist transformation and cultural revolution in Vietnam.