吴彬，明代莆田画家，无确切生卒年份。平民出身，在莆田长大，青年离乡。住过杭州，遍游江南，也到过四川，往返于明代最重要的城市南京和北京。关于吴彬的最早记录，见于《画史汇要》（成书于1631年）：“吴彬字文仲，闽人。万历（1573年—1620 年）时官中书舍人，善山水，布置绝不摹古，皆对真景描写……能大士像亦能人物。”美国著名中国艺术史家高居翰认为，吴彬的创作活跃时间大约在1583年— 1626年之间，台湾方面的研究者则推断在1590年—1643年间。
       明代没有画院建制，宫廷画家的编制一般隶属于其他省、部。万历（1573－1620）间，吴彬受明神宗朱翊钧召见，授以中书舍人，官工部主事，以画家身份供奉内廷，并进入江南文人圈。他的作品以山水、佛像闻名于世，多为明清两代宫廷重视并收藏。因当众批评权宦魏忠贤，于明熹宗天启年间被捕入狱，后获罪去职，晚年多作人物画，尤擅佛像，笔法更为纯熟，其人品、画作俱佳，为后人所重视。
       在莆田历代画家中，吴彬与之前的李在，之后的曾鲸、宋钰并称为明代莆田四大画家，一直被书画界所熟知和推崇。生前，他原本只是在莆田长大的一介布衣，青年后才离乡，幸得万历神宗皇帝的赏识，以善画而被荐入仕。可以想象的是，在生前，他狂热的只是他的绘画艺术，因为这样，他成了当时画界一位十分重要的、独树一帜的创造性画家：人物、山水、花鸟皆精，其中脱出唐宋规格的夸张变形白描人物和自立门户的水法山樵一派，更是可圈可点，后人对他的评价通识是，“画风独特，足敌赵孟頫，颉颃丁云鹏”。
       吴彬是莆田历代最具艺术气质的画家之一。他淡看体制和权力，敢于顶撞批评当时的权贵魏忠贤；他胸怀自然和民间，住过杭州，遍游江南、四川，往返于明代最重要的城市南京和北京。因为这样的艺术气度，他才成为了大家。

传世作品有万历十九年作《十六应真卷》，现藏于故宫博物院。万历三十七年作《山阴道上图》，现藏于上海博物馆。万历二十九年作《层峦重障图》轴，现藏于南京博物院。吴彬画作风格脱出唐、宋规格，笔端秀雅温丽，既能状物之精微，又能得之灵韵神趣。他的水法山樵一派，与曾波臣（曾鲸，1564－1647，明代杰出画家，擅长肖像画，兼作花卉）肖像画，洪仲韦（笔者未详考，疑为洪楷，洪洙之叔）小楷，黄允修（黄升，明代篆刻家，崇祯间人，篆刻矩步规行，不失尺寸）篆刻，并称 “莆中四绝”，其佛像画格，与当时丁南羽并称第一。
       曾任南京礼部右侍郎的福清人叶向高曾为吴彬诗集作序，名为《枝隐庵诗集序》的文章称：“吾乡吴文中，侨寓白门，名其所居曰 ‘枝隐庵’。日匡坐其中，诵经礼佛、吟诗作画，虽环堵萧然，而丰神朗畅，意趣安恬，大有逍遥之致。”
       台北故宫博物院藏吴彬《画愣严二十五圆通册》有董其昌和陈继儒的题跋，对吴彬画作赞赏有加。南京名儒顾起元称他“八闽之高士”，“夙世词客，前身画师”，认为他不止是能山水、人物、花鸟的全能画师，还是出色的文化人。另一位福建老乡、长乐人谢肇淛，在他的《五杂俎》中，将吴彬和董其昌相提并论，说吴彬的画作“……力敌松雪，传之后代，价当重连城矣”。

Wu Bin, Ming Putian painter, no exact year of birth and death. Civil origin, grew up in Putian, young people leave their homes. Lived in Hangzhou, traveled south, but also to Sichuan, and from the Ming Dynasty, the most important cities in Nanjing and Beijing. On the Wu Bin's earliest records, found in the "History of the Department to draw" (a book in 1631): "Wu Bin Wen Zhong, Min.Wanli (1573-1620) when the official book Scheeren, good landscape, layout Not to copy ancient, are described on the real King ... ... can be as big as the figure can be. "The United States well-known Chinese art historian Gao Han think, Wu Bin's creative active time between about 1583 - 1626, Taiwan research Is inferred from 1590 to 1643 years.
       There was no painting system in the Ming dynasty, and the establishment of the court painters was generally subordinate to other provinces and departments. Wanli (1573-1620), Wu Bin by the Ming Shenzong Zhu Yijun summoned to grant the book Scheeren, official department principal, as a painter dedicated to the inner court, and into the southern literati circle. His works to landscape, Buddha known in the world, mostly for the Ming and Qing court attention and collection. Because of the public criticism of the right-handed official Wei Zhongxian, Yu Mingxizong Tianqi years were arrested and imprisoned, later convicted of resignation, in his later years for figure painting, especially good statues, writing more skilled, its character, painting is superb, for future generations .
       In the past dynasty painters in Putian, Wu Bin and before Li, after the whale, Song Yu and known as the Ming Dynasty Putian four painters, has been well known and respected by the painting and calligraphy circles. During his lifetime, he had just grown up in Putian, a commoner, after the departure of the young, fortunate enough to appreciate the Emperor Wanli Shenzong to good painting was recommended to the official. It is conceivable that, in his lifetime, he was fanatical only his painting art, because of this, he became the painting industry is a very important, unique creative painter: characters, landscapes, birds and birds are fine, which out of the Tang and Song specifications The exaggerated deformation of white portrayal of figures and self-standing portal of water law school, it is remarkable, and his later evaluation of his general knowledge is, "unique style, the enemy Zhao Mengfu, Jie Ding Yunpeng."
       Wu Bin is the history of Putian one of the most artistic temperament of the painter. He dwelt on the system and power, dared to criticize the then powerful Weizhong Xian; his mind of nature and folk, lived in Hangzhou, traveled south, Sichuan, and from the Ming Dynasty's most important cities in Nanjing and Beijing. Because of this artistic tolerance, he became everyone.