A Symbol of Peace and Peace Education: The Genbaku Dome in Hiroshima

by Kanako Ide

Introduction

There are numerous paintings expressing both the glory and horror of war. These pictures are a powerful medium in peace education. According to Peter Burke, images of war have historically shifted in Western society. Until the 1800s, paintings of battles were mainly informed by "the virtue of war" because the images of wars were created according to the notion of heroism. However, Burke points out that, after the 1800s, the horror of war has been more prominently depicted. David O'Brien discusses this transition by analyzing paintings of the Napoleonic period. According to O'Brien, the painting of Napoleon's failure at the Battle of Eylau did not convey the beauty of war but rather its misery. As the concept of war changed from hero to nation-state, battle images were significantly transformed. Specifically, since mass destruction became possible because of advances in military technology, the number of civilian victims became much higher than previously. Consequently, representations of war emphasized this escalation of suffering and misery.