이화여자대학교박물관

People have always dreamed of an ideal world, one that is more complete than the not-so-complete reality of the present. Such an ideal world has been expressed in a myriad of ways varying in accordance to a person’s status and the circumstances of the period in which they lived; as such, idealism has been a primary theme throughout art. The paintings and ritual paraphernalia used for rituals and decorations of the royal palace contain the idealism envisioned by monarchs, in which their rule would be filled with peace and prosperity. The paintings and craftwork that portray scholars in communion with nature show their elegant tastes and high ideals of the arts. The artwork that depicts a religious paradise shows various ideal worlds governed by the gods, worlds that could give relief to the human souls that suffered through a harsh life on earth. Ewha Womans University Museum 2014 Special Exhibition explores various meanings of idealism as represented in the traditional arts of East Asian countries including China, Japan, and Tibet. By looking into ideal worlds as visualized in art, we may be able to gain a sense of the interior world of those who lived before us, those who overcame reality and dreamed of a more harmonious world.