The History of Hell

This is an illustrated survey of how, over the past 4000 years, religious leaders, poets, painters, and ordinary people have visualized Hell - its location, architecture, furnishings, purpose and inhabitants. From the beginning of recorded history, people all over the world have believed in an afterlife that includes the concept of Hell. Hell has always seemed to inspire more interest than Heaven, especially among painters and poets. When we think of Hell we conjure up memories of medieval paintings, the extraordinary creations of Hieronymus Bosch, the darker visions of Dore, William Blake's inspired images and poetry, and the descriptions of that region handed down to us by Homer, Virgil, Marlowe, Milton, Goethe, Dante, Byron and many more, until our day, when Sigmund Freud may be said to preside over the dark regions.