Red Geta

Painting

A scroll based on the Jigoku Zoshi - "Scroll of the Hells"

This scroll is based on artwork from the 12th C. Japan. It is part of a larger piece called the Jigoku Zoshi (Scroll of the Hells) which illustrates the different punishments waiting for Buddhist sinners in the after-life. This scenario is just one of many that are fantastically gory and violent. It's a real pleasure to work from this set of paintings, as secular Heian art tends to be a little more crude. Even though, it's interesting to compare it to Western Art of the same time period.

Jigoku Zoshi from the Tokyo National Museum (clicky "other photos" for more from this series)
Naraka (Japanese Buddhist hell)
Romanesque art (contemporary to Zigoku Zoshi)