Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Kings of Hells: Leaf 36
1204
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1204
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Kings of Hells: Leaf 36 is a 1204 unspecified by Unknown, a ming_painting work, depicting qianlong reign, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a crowded scene of judges in tall hats sitting at desks, while ghostly figures kneel below them in chains. This is one page from a 50-page training album used in a Chinese workshop. Artists copied these images to learn how to paint religious commissions. The judges are the Ten Kings of Hell, deciding punishments for the dead—part of Buddhist tradition mixed with local beliefs. If you like this mix of storytelling and fine line work, look up china, southern song dynasty (1127-1279).
