Ma Hezhi

CHINA, Zhejiang, Hangzhou; Southern Song dynasty

Ma Hezhi was a painter from Qiantang (present day Hangzhou, Zhejiang). He was skilled in painting landscapes, Buddhist images, and portraits. Ma studied the painting styles of Wu Daozi and Li Gonglin, and was often referred to as Little Wu. He was an Imperial Scholar and eventually worked in the Imperial Painting Academy as a painter-in-attendance.
Ma’s distinct painting style featured the heavy use of faint colors. In his landscapes, he painted scenes showing great depth. Commissioned by Emperor Gaozong (reigned 1127–1162) of the Southern Song dynasty, he created 300 Mao Poems, an influential collection of paintings in Chinese art history. His works earned high praise from other painters such as Wang Meng and Wen Zhengming.
Famous works by Ma are now kept in museums all over the world. Meeting in India and the Latter Rhyme on the Red Cliffs are kept at the Palace Museum in Beijing, and a painting of the Buddha is at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan.