Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Kings of Hells: Leaf 35

Description

This ink line drawing belongs to a set of leafs illustrating the Ten Kings of Hell. The king here seems to render a verdict on four deceased souls: the plaintiffs are an old couple kneeling in the middle and facing the king, the accused are the younger couple to their left. The man of the latter group bares his upper body.

The illustration belongs to a series of 50 ink line drawings that probably served professional artists in workshops as models for mural and silk paintings, commissioned by temples and monasteries.

Provenance

Wang Hui 王翬 [1632–1717]; Li Jiale 李嘉樂 [jinshi of 1863]; Zhu Hang 朱沆 [active 19th century]; Dr. F. R. (Fredrik Robert) Martin [1868–1933], Stockholm, Sweden, and Munich, Germany (1910–?); Mrs. L. M. Morris [20th century], England (?–1947); (Sotheby's, London, sale, 25 March 1947, lot 118, sold to Stephen Junkunc III) (March 25, 1947); István “Stephen" Junkunc III [1904–1978], by descent to his son Stephen Junkunc IV (1947–78); (Stephen Junkunc IV [b. 1937], Miami, FL, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (1978–2004); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (2004–)

Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Kings of Hells: Leaf 35

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1200s

Accession Number

2004.1.35

Medium

Album, ink on paper

Dimensions

Painting: 34.1 x 38.3 cm (13 7/16 x 15 1/16 in.)

Classification

Painting

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund in honor of Dr. Ju-hsi Chou and Gift of various donors to the department of Asian Art (by exchange)