Jia Shigu

CHINA, Henan, Kaifeng; Southern Song dynasty

Jia Shigu was a painter and native of Bianjing (present day Kaifeng, Henan) during the Southern Song dynasty. A pupil of the famed artist, Li Gonglin, he became well-known for his painting of Buddhist and Daoist figures. During the rule of Emperor Gaozong (reigned 1127–1162) of the Southern Song dynasty, he was assigned to a position in the Imperial Painting Academy.
His works are praised in Evaluation of Painters by Xia Wenyan, as well as in Records of the Southern Song Painting Academy, which mentions that Jia’s paintings were elegant and his skill was exceptionally proficient. He nurtured such outstanding painting talents such as Liang Kai.
Few works by Jia remain today. It is purported, however, that he is the artist of the paintings, Avalokitesvara and Ancient Temple in a Mountain Pass, which is currently preserved at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan.