The painting that made Ma Lin famous is Landscape with great pine (1201); it hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Scholar Reclining and Watching Rising Clouds, Poem by Wang Wei (1225) and Seated Portrait of Fu Xi (1230) follow it in the hearts of collectors and museum visitors. Of the 11 works by Ma Lin in our catalogue, these 11 are the most admired, each presented with its date, its museum and what sets it apart.
Ranked by our popularity score, which combines the searches, visits and orders for each work. Updated October 2026. Every masterpiece on this page can be ordered as a museum-quality, hand-painted oil reproduction or a fine art print, at the size you choose.
Ma Lin’s Landscape with Great Pine: A Symphony of Symbolism and Innovation Ma Lin's "Landscape with Great Pine" stands as a testament to the artistic spirit of the Southern Song dynasty, capturing not merely a visual representation of nature but also profound Daoist ideals. Created in 1201, this silk painting measuring 25 x 26 cm resides within The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, offering viewers an unparalleled glimpse into the…
A scholar reclines upon a rugged, dark outcrop, positioned at the edge of a vast, misty void. This circular composition, or tondo, captures a moment of quiet contemplation inspired by the verse: "Walking to where the water ends, I sit and watch when clouds arise." The figure gazes toward a distant, ethereal mountain peak that emerges from a sea of swirling mist. The composition relies heavily on negative space to…
This work, titled Seated Portrait of Fu Xi, is a significant example of the painting traditions of the Southern Song dynasty. Created by the court painter Ma Lin, the piece offers a focused study of the mythological figure Fuxi. It is a vertical composition that captures the subject in a moment of quietude, presented through a classical ink and color approach on silk or paper.
The four subjects that return most often among these masterpieces, with the finest example of each.
The 6 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Ma Lin | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Cleveland Museum of Art |
Cleveland | 3 | Scholar Reclining and Watching Rising Clouds, Poem by Wang Wei, Scholar Reclining and Watching Rising Clouds; Poem by Wang Wei, Landscape with Flying Geese |
 National Palace Museum |
Taipei | 3 | Seated Portrait of Fu Xi, Standing Portrait of King Yu of Xia, Listening Quietly to Soughing Pines |
 Metropolitan Museum of Art |
New York | 2 | Landscape with great pine, Untitled (D2X89S) |
 Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art |
Providence | 1 | Magpies and Flowering Plum Tree |
 MOA Museum of Art |
Atami | 1 | Solitary Fisherman on a Wintry River |
 The Palace Museum |
Beijing | 1 | Mume Twigs |
Ma Lin’s Landscape with Great Pine: A Symphony of Symbolism and Innovation Ma Lin's "Landscape with Great Pine" stands as a testament to the artistic spirit of the…
A scholar reclines upon a rugged, dark outcrop, positioned at the edge of a vast, misty void. This circular composition, or tondo, captures a moment of quiet contemplation…
This work, titled Seated Portrait of Fu Xi, is a significant example of the painting traditions of the Southern Song dynasty. Created by the court painter Ma Lin,…
Landscape with great pine (1201), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Next come Scholar Reclining and Watching Rising Clouds, Poem by Wang Wei (1225) and Seated Portrait of Fu Xi (1230).
21 years old: Landscape with great pine dates from 1201 and Ma Lin was born in 1180.
Landscape with great pine, Scholar Reclining and Watching Rising Clouds, Poem by Wang Wei, Seated Portrait of Fu Xi, Untitled (D2X89S), Scholar Reclining and Watching Rising Clouds; Poem by Wang Wei, Landscape with Flying Geese, Standing Portrait of King Yu of Xia, Listening Quietly to Soughing Pines, Magpies and Flowering Plum Tree and Solitary Fisherman on a Wintry River. The ranking above gives the year and the museum of each.
Our catalogue lists 11 works by Ma Lin, dated from 1201 to 1250.
Most of them are in Cleveland Museum of Art (Cleveland), National Palace Museum (Taipei) and Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York). The table above lists the museums one by one.
In 1200s: 2 of the 11 works on this page date from then, among them Landscape with great pine.
The earliest on this page is Landscape with great pine (1201), the latest Landscape with Flying Geese (1250).
Ink: 2 of the 11 works on this page.
Scholar Reclining and Watching Rising Clouds, Poem by Wang Wei, Scholar Reclining and Watching Rising Clouds; Poem by Wang Wei and Landscape with Flying Geese are among the 3 works on this page held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland.
Yes. Every painting on this page can be ordered as a museum-quality, hand-painted oil reproduction or a fine art print, in the size you choose, from the painting's own page.
