Ma Hezhi

Chinese painter

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June 30, 2026

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Ma Hezhi was a Chinese painter active during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). He was known for his historical figure paintings, often created for emperors Gaozong and Xiaozong. These works frequently included lengthy inscriptions attributed to the emperors themselves, serving as propagandistic narrative paintings within a Confucian political framework. While his contemporaries like Ma Yuan and Xia Gui focused on romantic landscapes, Ma Hezhi's artistic contributions lay in historical illustration, reflecting the court's desire to legitimize its rule through traditional virtues.1

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Chinese painting
Song (960–1279), Liao (907–1125), and Jin (1115–1234) dynasties
…artists including Li Tang and Ma Hezhi, often include lengthy inscriptions purportedly executed by the emperors themselves. They represent the finest survival today of the ancient court tradition of propagandistic historical narrative painting in a Confucian political mode.
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…artists including Li Tang and Ma Hezhi, often include lengthy inscriptions purportedly executed by the emperors themselves. They represent the finest survival today of the ancient court tradition of propagandistic historical narrative painting in a Confucian political mode.
Read More