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The Ten Kings of Purgatory: King Who Turns the Wheel [of Rebirth] of the Tenth Court

Unknown

1800

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Mughal Painting Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

The Ten Kings of Purgatory: King Who Turns the Wheel [of Rebirth] of the Tenth Court is a 1800 paint by Unknown, a Mughal Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1800 · Mughal Painting
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows a busy scene with many figures in bright, flat colors. At the top, a man in a blue robe sits on a throne under a red roof, holding a scroll. Below him, people in different poses—some standing, some kneeling—fill the space. A large white ox floats above a chaotic lower scene where figures fight or flee. The painting’s title hints it’s about a story from Buddhist ideas about rebirth and judgment. The bright colors and dramatic action fit the Romantic style, which often mixed emotion with big stories. Look up Romanticism next to see how this fits into that artistic movement.

The story of this work

Overview

This hanging scroll depicts the Tenth King of Purgatory, who governs the Wheel of Rebirth, as part of a set of ten scrolls. It was created in 1800 by an unknown artist and entered the collection in 1869 through a gift from Miss Fortescue.

Read the full account in the museum source.