中国杰出的现代主义艺术大师，中国抽象绘画奠基人，油画家、美术教育家、诗人。
1903年12月5日生于江苏宜兴。1917年到上海，师从张聿光学画。1920年任上海《申报》美术编辑，绘制漫画。1923年留学法国，考入巴黎国立高等美术学校。1924年1月，与林风眠、李金发等人在巴黎组织霍普斯学会，后改名为“海外艺术运动社”。1927年回国，任上海新华艺术专科学校教授。1928年3月，参与创办国立艺术院，任西画系主任。8月，与林风眠、林文铮等人发起“艺术运动社”。9月，国画系与西画系合并，吴大羽任绘画系主任。1938年离开教职。1947年复回国立杭州艺专担任教授兼西画组主任。1950年遭校方解聘，居家作画。1960年任教于上海美专油画系。1965年进入上海油画雕塑工作室（院）。1988年元旦去世。曾任上海交通大学艺术顾问，中国美术家协会顾问，上海画院副院长，中国美术家协会上海分会理事。作为美术教育家，他培养的学生有丁天缺、祝大年、吴冠中、朱德群、赵无极、庄华岳、闵希文、赵春翔等。
An outstanding master of modernist art in China, the founder of Chinese abstract painting, an oil painter, an art educator, and a poet.
Born on December 5, 1903 in Yixing, Jiangsu. He went to Shanghai in 1917 and studied optical painting with Zhang Yu. In 1920, he served as the art editor of Shanghai's "申报" and drew cartoons. In 1923, he studied in France and was admitted to the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In January 1924, he organized the Hopps Society in Paris with Lin Fengmian, Li Jinfa and others, which was later renamed the "海外艺术运动社". He returned to China in 1927 and served as a professor at Shanghai Xinhua Art College. In March 1928, he participated in the founding of the National Academy of Art and served as the director of the Western Painting Department. In August, he launched the "艺术运动社" with Lin Fengmian, Lin Wenzheng and others. In September, the Department of Traditional Chinese Painting and the Department of Western Painting merged, and Wu Dayu was appointed director of the Department of Painting. Left teaching in 1938. In 1947, he returned to the National Hangzhou Art College as professor and director of the Western Painting Group. In 1950, he was dismissed from his job by the school and started painting at home. In 1960, he taught in the Oil Painting Department of Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts. In 1965, he entered the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Studio (Academy). Died on New Year's Day, 1988. He once served as the art consultant of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, consultant of the Chinese Artists Association, vice president of the Shanghai Painting Academy, and director of the Shanghai Branch of the Chinese Artists Association. As an art educator, the students he trained include Ding Tianque, Zhu Danian, Wu Guanzhong, Zhu Dequn, Zhao Wuji, Zhuang Huayue, Min Xiwen, Zhao Chunxiang, etc.
