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Diagrams of the Universe: The Two-and-a-Half Continents, the Universe in the Shape of a Person, and the Seven Levels of Hell

Unknown

1613

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Andean Colonial Baroque Baroque Allegory

Dominant colour

Diagrams of the Universe: The Two-and-a-Half Continents, the Universe in the Shape of a Person, and the Seven Levels of Hell is a 1613 unspecified by Unknown, a Andean Colonial work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1613 · Andean Colonial
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a tall, skinny figure shaped like a person, split into layers. The top half is heaven, the bottom half is hell, and the middle is a round map of mountains and rivers. Tiny scenes show people suffering in fire pits on the right side. This painting comes from Jain beliefs in Gujarat, India. It’s a map of the whole universe—how people imagined it in 1613. The artist drew it so anyone could understand the rules of life, death, and what comes after. If you like this, look up more about the subject western india, gujarat.

The story of this work

Overview

According to Jain cosmology, the universe is envisioned in the shape of a man. Above the waist are seven levels of heavens; below the waist are seven levels of hell. His midsection is the earthly realm, here shown as a round diagram with mountains and rivers, expanded at the left. The hell scenes are elaborated at the right.