Ma Lin

Ma Lin was an artist active during the period 1225-1251. Documentation of the artist’s output exists primarily through works held in major international collections, establishing a critical timeline for their professional career in the mid-thirteenth century.

The verified output of surviving Ma Lin paintings represented in museum collections totals five distinct works. These pieces illustrate a strong focus on classical East Asian subject matter, emphasizing contemplative landscapes, interactions between scholarly pursuits and nature, and direct studies of the natural world. Noteworthy examples include the landscape study Landscape with Flying Geese and the subtle nature piece Orchids. The theme of learned contemplation is strongly represented in works such as Scholar Reclining and Watching Rising Clouds, Poem by Wang Wei and Landscape with great pine.

Today, these museum-quality pieces are held in two prominent institutions in the United States, lending considerable authority to the surviving record of the artist's career: the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Due to their historical importance, details of these paintings, including images suitable for high-quality prints, are frequently made available as downloadable artwork through institutional archives and public resources.