1
The 2 Most Famous Xia Gui Paintings, Each One of a Kind
Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 2 works by Xia Gui in our catalogue
In short
Twelve Views of Landscape (Shan-shui shih-erh-ching) is the Xia Gui painting that draws the most eyes; the original belongs to the The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City. Among the 2 works of Xia Gui in our catalog, these 2 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
1195 – 1224, Hangzhou
Most works: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Top 10 paintings by Xia Gui, through the gallery's eye
The museums that keep Xia Gui's originals
The 2 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Xia Gui | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art |
Kansas City | 1 | Twelve Views of Landscape (Shan-shui shih-erh-ching) |
 National Palace Museum |
Taipei | 1 | Pure and Remote View of Streams and Mountains |
Xia Gui's paintings: questions for the gallery
What is the single most famous work of Xia Gui?Reveal the answer
Twelve Views of Landscape (Shan-shui shih-erh-ching).
How many works by Xia Gui are known?Reveal the answer
Our catalog holds 2 works by Xia Gui.
Where can the most famous Xia Gui originals be seen?Reveal the answer
Mostly in The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City) and National Palace Museum (Taipei). The museum table above lists them all.
Where can I order a hand-painted Xia Gui reproduction?Reveal the answer
Yes, as a reproduction: the original stays in its museum, but any painting on this page can be painted by hand for you, made to order one at a time, from the painting's own page.
Xia Gui: a portrait of the artist
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.