吴历生于1632年，卒于1718年，所处时代正是明朝被清朝推翻、天下由乱而治的时期。与大多数由明入清的汉族士人知识分子一样，吴历对满清政权也是持消极抵制的态度，尽管“甲申（1644 年）之变”那年他才十二岁。他的十一世先祖吴纳曾在明朝永宣时期官至南京左副都御史，九世、八世祖都曾经获得过明朝的进士功名，他的血液里流淌着骄傲和自豪，虽然后来家道败落也未曾消失。随着年龄的增长和社会的急剧变化，他虽然明明知道混乱并且互相倾轧的南明小朝廷无望可寄，但是无可奈何，他不可能改变自己与身俱来的民族情感去奉谀满清政权，当然也没有勇气面对新朝去闹“革命”，唯一的选择便是不取功名。
       所以，寿高八十又七并且才名相当的吴历终其一生为一介布衣，而他的精神世界也随着历史的变迁先儒后佛（其实吴历没有皈依佛教，也不是居家礼佛意义上的居士，只是与默容等和尚结为方外交，逃禅而已）再天主教，为其生命划出了一条弧形轨迹。在他加入天主教时，当时康熙皇帝出于安抚其它民族和各种宗教信仰的人的需要，以达到为现实政治服务的目的，实行的是“怀柔政策”，而到了吴历去世前后，纷争多年的罗马教廷禁止中国教徒祀祖敬孔即史书所谓“礼仪之争”的矛盾总爆发，康熙皇帝下令禁止外国人在中国传教，之后，这一禁令又得到后来的雍正、乾隆、嘉庆、道光诸帝的继承和严格执行。吴历作为清代早期三名中国籍神父之一，尽管此时他已经去世，但对其身后不能不有所影响。就在他死后三、四年，即位不久的雍正皇帝再次下令严禁天主教，各地的教堂与教士墓地也被没籍入官，其中包括上海大南门外陆家浜南岸的教士墓地，从此墓地就荒芜了。这就是他的卒年不为人知以及各类史籍乃至笔记很少记载吴历生平事迹的原因。
       吴历的绘画就是在这样的历史背景下演进的。加入天主教耶稣会后，吴历全身心投入了教会的工作，大约有近 20 年的时间他很少绘画创作。所以，美术史上普遍认为吴历一生创作的高峰是在40~50岁这段时间，他的许多代表作就是作于这一时段内，比如上海博物馆收藏的《山中苦雨诗画卷》（1674年作，43岁）、《湖天春色图轴》（1676年作，45岁），北京故宫博物院收藏的《兴福庵感旧图卷》（1674年作，43岁）等等。

吴历早年曾跟王鉴学画，同时做王时敏的学生。故早期作品很似王鉴作风，皴染工细，清润秀丽。中年时期，在遍临宋元诸家基础上，着重吸取王蒙和吴镇之长，形成自己风格。作品布局取景比较真实，安置得宜，还富有远近感，用笔沉着谨严，善用重墨，积墨，山石富有立体感，风格浑朴厚润。如上海博物馆收藏的《湖天春色图轴》作于45岁，是他中年时的代表佳作。平远景色中，近、中、远三处柳树渐，吴历还善画竹石，取法吴镇，亦具自己特色。如《竹石图轴》竹枝挺劲，枝叶全用浓墨，不取浓淡相间画法，显得更加雄浑苍劲。
       他摹古而不拘囿古人，能融汇诸家之长，自创新意，还在一定程度上吸收了西法，如布局、明暗等方面，故史传论其：“作画每用西洋法，云气绵渺凌云，迥异平时。” 他的山水注意取法自然，使作品富有一定真实感。如其自述：“不将粉本为规矩，造化随他笔底来。”这些都是迥异“四王”之处的。更加不同于“四王”之处的就是吴氏能画人物，非同凡格。故宫博物院所藏《人物故事图》造型典重，屋宇宏敞，极见功力，为历来画史所未涉及。

其代表作品有：《横山晴蔼图》、《湖天春色图》、《早雪图》、《琵琶行图卷》、《湖天春色图》、《秋林步月图》、《秋寺晚钟图》、《山村田舍图》、《仿松雪仙居图》等。著有《墨井画跋》、《三巴集》等行世。
       《湖天春色图》取作者站在小山冈上俯视湖岸的角度，意境闲散柔和。画面近景使几株树干结疤古拙，枝条芽叶葱绿的柳树，树下为丛丛青草片片绿荫。近岸的湖面上白鹅凫动，燕雀争鸣。一片大地复苏、生机勃勃的春日景象。顺着湖岸上参差错落的绿柳延伸着的是不断升高的坡地，一条小径蜿蜒盘桓，渐渐远去。画幅右上角的浓墨题记，不仅从布局角度弥补了空白，而且与远山的淡墨形成对比，与前景的浓重色彩形成呼应，增强了画面的构图效果。吴历用笔谨严朴厚，细密沉着，多用中锋。特别是他的“阳面皴”更是时常为人称道。他善用重墨、焦墨，层层皴染的积墨法更使他的作品墨彩焕发，郁郁苍苍。此图取江岸实景，皴染工致细丽，敷色淡雅华滋，实为其中年精心之品。
       吴历流传下来的作品较多。仅上海博物馆收藏书画就达32幅，含五、六个大幅精品佳作，如《雨歇遥天图》、《葑溪会琴图》、《槐策堂图》等。北京故宫博物院更是收藏丰厚，如43岁时作的《松壑鸣琴图轴》取法王蒙，景色郁茂，布局深远，皴法细密，积墨厚重，阴面多用重墨，受光部分作“阳面皴”，增强了山石的立体感，反映了画家成熟后的典型风格。75岁作的《黄山晴蔼图卷》，仿王蒙，更具沉郁之气，山石用干笔织墨层层加皴，并用焦墨点擦，阴阳阴晴分明，苍郁滋润。75岁作的《泉声松色图轴》，是仿黄公望，皴法繁密，笔力雄浑。这些仿名家的晚年之笔，均具浑厚凝重之特色。
 

Wu Li (1632 - 1718), the Qing Dynasty famous painter. His real name is Kai, No. Yushan, Taoxi lay. Because of the home has Yanzi ink well, and ink well Taoist. Jiangsu Changshu people. As "the early Qing six" one. Young painting, a little longer piano. More than the early years with the Western priest, priest contacts. In 1681, Wu Li decided to go to Rome with the priest to visit the Pope, originally intended to take the Dutch ship to Europe, has to Macau, but failed to take place, then stay in Macau for about 5 months. In 1682 in Macao to join the Jesuit, baptized name for Xi Man · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·, He lives in St. Paul's Church, poetry and painting, "Yu Shan pocket book", "White Chuan Jiang map", "Akiyama map" and other works available. At this time his painting, there is a clear absorption of Western painting art. And also has a "three-Pakistani", "three bus" that is, the residence of St. Paul's Church in the transliteration of Macao in the name of its "miscellaneous miscellaneous Macao" 30, are related to Macao, Macao is an important early literature historical data. In 1682 from Australia, in Jiangsu and Zhejiang area mission. Died in Shanghai.

Wu Li was born in 1632, died in 1718, the era is the Ming Dynasty was overthrown by the Qing Dynasty, the world by chaos and governance of the period. Like most intellectuals from the Ming and Qing dynasties, Wu Li was a passive boycott of the Manchu regime, even though he was twelve years old when Jia Shen (1644) changed. His eleven ancestors Wu Na in the Ming Dynasty Yongxuan period officials to Nanjing left deputy censor, nine, eight ancestors have won the Ming dynasty Jinshi fame, his blood flowing pride and pride, although later Decline has not disappeared. With the growth of age and social changes, although he knew that chaos and mutual strife Nanming small court is hopeless to send, but helpless, he could not change their own national sentiment to flatter the Qing Empire, of course, Nor the courage to face the new North to trouble "revolution", the only option is not to take fame.
       Therefore, the life of eighty and seven and only the name of the Wu calendar of his life as a commoner, and his spiritual world also changes with the history of the first Confucianism after the Buddha (in fact, Wu Li did not convert to Buddhism, is not home Buddha significance On the lay, but with the Merong and other monks for foreign diplomacy, Zen Chan only) and then the Catholic Church, for its life to draw a curved track. When he joined the Catholic Church, the emperor Kangxi to appease the needs of other nationalities and various religious beliefs in order to achieve the purpose of serving the political reality, the implementation of the "Huairou policy", and to Wu Li died before and after years of disputes , The Emperor Kangxi ordered the prohibition of foreigners to preach in China, after which the ban was later Yongzheng, Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang all the followers of the book of the so-called "ritual dispute" the total outbreak of the conflict, Emperor's inheritance and strict implementation. Wu Li as one of the three early Qing Dynasty Chinese priest, although he has died at this time, but behind him can not help but have an impact. Just three or four years after his death, the throne of the Yongzheng Emperor once again ordered the Catholic Church is strictly prohibited, around the church and priest cemetery was not membership into the official, including Shanghai South Gate outside the south bank of the clan cemetery cemetery, from the cemetery On the barren. This is his unknown years of life and various historical records and even little note of Wu Li's life story of the reasons.
       Wu Li's painting is in this historical context of evolution. After joining the Catholic Jesuits, Wu devoted himself to the work of the church, and for almost 20 years he rarely painted. Therefore, the history of art is generally believed that Wu Li's life is the peak of 40 to 50 years old this time, many of his masterpiece is made during this period, such as the Shanghai Museum collection of "Rain in the mountains poem volumes" (1674, (1676, 45), Beijing Palace Museum collection of "Xing Fu An sense of the old map volume" (1674 for 43 years old), and so on.