Buddhist Hell Paintings
In addition to the depictions of real penalties in literary sources, Chinese art has a long tradition of portraying the punishments in the legendary Buddhist hells, since at least the introduction of Buddhism in China in the Han Dynasty. Through describing the severity of Buddhist hells, this artwork was intended to urge people to convert and live according to Buddhist creeds. For instance, paintings such as Hell Depiction (地狱图) by Zhang Xiaoshi or Depiction of Retribution in Hell (地獄變相圖) by Wu Daozi were believed to be authentic presentations of the cruelty in Buddhist hells, persuading people to convert. Portrayals of the eighteen hells in the Buddhist afterlife were especially popular among ordinary people, seen most spectacularly in the Dazu Rock Carvings in Chongqing, Sichuan Province (below). This tradition in artistic expression not only influenced later Chinese artwork of punishment scenes, but in addition Westerners in China most likely saw Buddhist hell depictions, further impacting their view that cruel tortures characterized the Chinese legal system.
