Ma Yüan, style name Chin-shan, was a native of Ho-chung, Shansi Province. He served in the Imperial Painting Academy under the Southern Sung emperors, Kuang-tsung and Ning-tsung. His father, grandfather, and son were all talented painters. His landscapes, figures and bird/flower paintings are simple, but of the very finest quality.This album leaf is number eight in the National Palace Museum's "Album Leaves Through the Dynasties." It depicts a branch of peach blossoms. The brush and ink work are wonderfully elegant and rich in meaning. Although the painting is unsigned, there is an inscription by the Empress Yang in the upper right portion of the painting. The National Palace Museum collection also contains Ma Yüan's "Apricot Blossoms" which is similar to this painting in terms of size, brushwork, color, colophons and seals. Moreover, "Apricot Blossoms" bears the four character signature, "Painted by Your Subject, Ma Yüan." On the basis of this comparison, we realize that the anonymous painting "Peach Blossoms" was also painted by Ma Yüan.