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 o…