There is much art and writings on the subject of hell throught out the ages and within all religions.
La Porte de l'Enfer ( The Gates of Hell)
A group sculpture by French artist, Auguste Rodin. It depicts a scene from the first section “The Inferno” from the Divine Comedy written by Dante Alighieri. The work contains 180 figures and many of them Rodin cast independently. ie. The Thinker. Can you find him in the sculpture?
Rodin received his inspiration from the sculpture, “The Gates of Paradise,” by Lorenzo Ghiberti. They received their name because Michelangelo thought they so beautiful and the work so perfect, he referred to it as such as the name has stuck.
Gates of Paradise, Baptistery, Florence. The doors currently on display are a reproduction.
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Picture by Andreas Witzel, with Permission GFDL Auguste Rodin "The Gates of Hell."
Hortus Deliciarum - 12th century
Hell (Hölle)
Artist: Herrad von Landsberg (about 1180)
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Yama for Buddhists is a god of the dead, supervising the various Buddhist "hells".
Yama's Court and Hell. The Blue figure is Yamaraj (The Hindu god of death) with his consort Yami and Chitragupta
17th century Painting from Government Museum, Chennai.
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**ADDITIONAL NOTE ON YAMA: Yama is the name of the Buddhist dharmapala and judge of the dead, who presides over the Buddhist Narakas (Pāli: Nirayas), "Hells" or "Purgatories". Although ultimately based on the god Yama of the Hindu Vedas, the Buddhist Yama has developed different myths and different functions from the Hindu deity. He has also spread far more widely, and is known in every country where Buddhism is practiced, including Tibet, China and Japan.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Nanamoli, Bhikkhu & Bodhi,Bhikkhu (2001). The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya. Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-072-X.
Miriam-Webster Dictionary
Catholic Encyclopedia
**Additional Note on Yama taken from www.wikipedia.com
