Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Kings of Hells: Leaf 37

You see a small, detailed painting of a hell king seated on a throne, surrounded by demons torturing the dead.

You see a small, detailed painting of a hell king seated on a throne, surrounded by demons torturing the dead.

This is one page from an album used to teach young artists how to paint religious scenes. The kings of hell were believed to judge souls after death, assigning punishments based on their sins. The bright colors and sharp lines make it easy to copy.

Look up more works from china, southern song dynasty (1127-1279) to see how these ideas spread.

This album leaf is part of a collection of 50 paintings on religious themes, likely created as models for studio apprentices to learn from.