Hell in Japanese Art

This art book showcases depictions of hell in Japanese art from the 12th century to the 19th century. It features a large collection of masterpieces presented with details and enlargements from the works. These images are of aesthetic, thought-provoking, frightening and wickedly funny.The single-volume collection focuses primarily on works designated as Japanese National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties and features the various depictions of hell by prominent artists such as Kazunobu Kano, Nichosai, Yoshitoshi Tsukioka and Kyosai Kawanabe. It is a must-see for artists, illustrators and anyone interested in representations of hell. This volume also features the 19th century woodblock-printed edition of Ojoyoshu (The Essentials of Rebirth in the Pure Land) written by the medieval Buddhist monk Genshin (942 - 1017) and is accompanied by modern bilingual text. Written in 985, this influential Buddhist text is often compared with Dante's La Divina Commedia (La Divine Comedie/The D