谢时臣，字思忠，号樗仙，苏州人，活跃于16世纪前半期。明代画史对他有简略记载。如姜绍书《无声诗史》说他“善画，颇有胆气，长卷巨障，纵横自如”，从谢时臣多数作品看，这一评价基本是准确的。话锋一转，姜绍书又说他“气势有余，韶秀不足”，但既求“气势”，“韶秀”自难兼顾，这一点从谢时臣的很多作品中都可以看出。
       和其他职业画家一样，谢时臣早年学画经历，画史中没有明确记载。友人吴鼎（字维新，号泉亭，又号支离子，钱塘人，正德丁丑进士，官至广西布政司参议）为谢时臣作传，记其生平及“樗仙”之号的涵义：樗仙者，东海散人也。少负奇气，有囊括万象，流观宇宙之意。尝为学官弟子，举于有司弗成，辄弃去。日：“是不足学。”益浪迹五湖三江之间，神悟所到，山川草木、禽鱼飞跃、阴阳雨露所变现，古今豪杰之迹，得其精意，一发诸图画。所至荐绅争馆于家，捐重赀购请尺缣片楮，如获重器然，由是声名焯然满公卿间。
       顾其言日：“樗，无用物也。寓言之士有称焉。画者，虚无景象也。长康、道子名于今亦不卑，要亦无用之用，不物之物，天行而神会，游艺而道存，庶几古真人之流哉！因自号樗仙云。”士嘲之曰：“仙者，岂是为利邪？”解之日：“吾未能辟谷轻举于尘埃之表，则亦恶免以此易彼，自濡其身乎？”士笑日：“若是，樗非果无用者矣。”

谢时臣山水画风格可大约分为两种，一种用墨清淡近“吴派”，如《策杖寻幽图》、《溪山秋晚图》等，或为小幅，或为长卷，及一些山水扇面，这些作品追球安逸的文人趣味；另一种是用墨浓重近于“浙派”的《乾坤四景》之类的大幅作品，画面构图复杂，追求动感，具有强烈的视觉冲击力，如《太行晴雪图》等。沈周山水画风格虽多样，粗笔、细笔均有，但因他书法功力深厚，以意贯之，无论“细沈”还是“粗沈”，都有明显的个性特点在，故而沈周堪为开派大师。而在谢时臣身上，由于两种风格未能很好地统一，有时在一套册页中不免互相冲突，有不协调之感，比如北京故宫博物院藏《杜甫诗意图册》等。
        彭年认为谢时臣承继了沈周的水墨风格，题其水墨山水画说：“远峰疑着雨，高树若含风。水墨传神妙，樗仙继石翁。”存世谢时臣《虎丘图》是其四十七岁时作品，明显是仿沈周风格。此外，有同样认识的还有稍晚一些的晚明至清初书画鉴藏家，比如李日华、汪丽玉、顾复等人。李日华本极为推崇沈周，在观谢时臣山水画后，他感慨道：“樗老声价远在相城下，观此有骏骏欲度意。”言谢时臣虽名气远不及沈周，实际上其艺术水平却几乎有超越之势。而汪珂玉在观览了谢时臣大量作品之后，评价是“其莽苍酣肆之笔，大类石田”，认为他某类风格，非常像沈周。

作品多构为长卷巨幛，以善画水著称，江河湖海，无不精好。又作 山峦重叠 ，高耸险峻 ，笔墨 或细密苍劲 ，或劲健沉郁，或纵横纷披，富有变化。有《溪山揽胜图》、《策杖寻幽图》、《武当霁雪图》、《谪仙玩月图》等传世。
       谢时臣遍游名山大川，得汀山之助，所以作品才能苍古有气概。如“乾坤四景”，是他屡屡描绘的题材，可能是受沈周《乾坤四大景》的影响。“乾坤四景”是谢时臣反复创作的题材，流传下来的不少。1541年谢时臣作《海内四奇景》，在该年9月所作的《武当紫霄宫霁雪图》上，他题道：“此海内四奇景，余少年亲历其地，兹膂力不复事此，慨然兴怀述景，以示不忘，而景象翕然在目中矣。”∞此图气势雄伟，应该只是他所创作的“海内四奇景”之一，显然本应为四大幅山水。1552年仲春，谢时臣又作有“乾坤名胜四景”，其一《武当南岩霁雪图》现藏青岛博物馆，款题：“明嘉站三十一载仲春谢时臣写乾坤名胜四景，景皆余尝亲览，历历在目者，故表而出之。”该图高约三米，宽一米。广州美术馆和安徽省博物馆各藏《匡庐瀑布图》大轴一件，应该也是“乾坤四景”之一。

Xie Shi-chen, the word thinking Zhong, No. Aixian cents, Suzhou, active in the first half of the 16th century. The painting history of the Ming Dynasty has a brief account of him. Such as Jiang Shaoshu "Silent poem history" that he "good painting, quite courageous, long scroll giant barrier, freely", from Xie Shi-chen most works, this evaluation is basically accurate. Jiang Shao-shu also said that his "momentum is more than enough, Shao show less", but both seeking "momentum", "Shao show" from the difficult balance, which is a lot of works from Xie Shichen can be seen.
       And other professional painter, Xie Shichen early learning experience, painting history is not clearly documented. Friends of Wu Ding (word reform, the number of spring booths, and the number of ions, Qiantang, Zhengde Ding Chou Scholars, officials to the Guangxi Chief Secretary Senate) for Xie Shichen for biography, remember their life and "Aixian" meaning: Cents who, the East China Sea are scattered people. Less negative odd gas, have included Vientiane, flow concept of the universe. Taste for the academic disciples, held in the Division into the Fu, noir discarded. Between the three lakes, the enlightenment to the mountains and vegetation, poultry leap, yin and yang of the realization of the deeds, ancient and modern heroes of the track, was its fine Italian, a picture of the hair. The recommended squat fight at home, donated money to purchase foot piece of mulberry, such as by heavy device, by the reputation of Cheuk then Man Gongqing between.
       Guzhe Day: "Ailanthus, useless things also. Allegory of people who have said Yan. Painter, nothing like the scene. Changkang, Road sub-name this is not humble, to useless, not things, And the gods will, entertainment and Daojiu, Shu Ji Guzhen live stream of Zai! Because since the number of Xian Xian. "Scholar of the said:" Immortal, not for evil? "Solution Day:" I can not Bogu light "If you take the dust in the table, then also avoid this evil easy to self, so the body almost?" Laugh on the day: "If the non-fruit ailanthus carry useless."