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Meet the 2 Most Famous Paintings by Xia Gui
Updated Жовтень 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 2 works by Xia Gui in our catalogue
In short
If you know one Xia Gui painting, it's probably Twelve Views of Landscape (Shan-shui shih-erh-ching), which hangs in the Музей мистецтв Нельсона-Аткінса, Канзас-Сіті. Our catalogue has 2 works by Xia Gui. Below are the 2 people know best, each with its year, where to find it and what makes it special.
1195 – 1224, Hangzhou
Most works: Музей мистецтв Нельсона-Аткінса
Start here: the top 10 Xia Gui paintings
Where you can see Xia Gui's paintings
The 2 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Xia Gui | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Музей мистецтв Нельсона-Аткінса |
Канзас-Сіті | 1 | Twelve Views of Landscape (Shan-shui shih-erh-ching) |
 Національний палацовий музей |
Тайбей | 1 | Pure and Remote View of Streams and Mountains |
Your questions about Xia Gui's paintings
Which Xia Gui painting is the most famous?See the answer
Top of the list is Twelve Views of Landscape (Shan-shui shih-erh-ching).
How many paintings did Xia Gui create?See the answer
We have 2 works by Xia Gui in our catalogue.
Where can you see Xia Gui's famous paintings?See the answer
You'll find most of them in Музей мистецтв Нельсона-Аткінса (Канзас-Сіті) and Національний палацовий музей (Тайбей). The museum list above has the full breakdown.
Can I get a reproduction of a Xia Gui painting?See the answer
Yes. Every painting on this page is available as a hand-painted oil reproduction or a print, in the size that suits you. Just open the painting's page to order.
Getting to know Xia Gui
The Legacy of the Ma-Xia School
Xia Gui was a Chinese landscape painter of the Song dynasty, most likely born in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China. Alongside his contemporary Ma Yuan, he founded the influential Ma-Xia school. While much of his life remains unknown, he served in the Imperial Painting Academy during the reign of Emperor Ningzong. His artistic approach was characterized by a move away from highly detailed, complex compositions toward a more immediate and striking effect, often utilizing limited materials to achieve this impact.
His technical mastery is evident in his use of extremely subtle, graded ink washes and overlapping brushstrokes to create atmospheric effects of mist, sky, and infinity. He was noted for his ability to work with great ease and speed, often producing spontaneous creations on paper that absorbed ink quickly. Furthermore, Xia Gui was praised for his skill in drawing architecture freehand without the use of a ruler.
Notable Works and Artistic Style
The surviving works of Xia Gui include various genres, such as small album leaves and hand scrolls. His technique often featured perfectly balanced diagonal compositions where void and solid mass played equally important roles. Notable examples of his work include:
His influence extended far beyond his own era, impacting the Japanese master Sesshū Tōyō, who was influenced by Xia's idiom and made studies of his landscape fans.