Ma Shou-Hua was born in Guoyang, Anhui. He was fond of painting since childhood. During his leisure time, he studies calligraphy and painting. He had a profound understanding of the painters of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. He was a master in the ink wash painting of bamboo, landscape, finger painting, flowers and calligraphy. He was also a pioneer in the judicial field, an expert in finance, a famed calligrapher and painter. His expertise was in painting landscape, flowers and especially in the ink painting of bamboo. His finger painting was even more extraordinary. He mastered the Running and Regular Scripts of calligraphy. He learns from the two Wangs and studied the styles of Yan Zhenqing and Mi Fu. His Running Script was smooth and elegant without rival.
This piece "Landscape" depicts a few well-grown old trees, each with a different look, situated by a giant rock platform. On the bottom-center end, a pair of pavilions sit on a platform. On the bottom end, a clear creek flows by. A quiet trail in the mountains pushes forward on the mountainside. In the mid-section of the painting, a few rows of trees are painted along with a flowing river. In the back, a layer of cloud and mist separates the section from the next, which consists of layers of mountains. The entire painting is refreshing and elegant.

This audio guide is made by National Taiwan Library. Docent: Chen Yu-Jung (陳毓容)