任薰自幼受父兄影响，喜爱绘画，青年时在宁波卖画为生。1868年春末与任颐同往苏州，转辗于江浙之间，后寓苏州、上海。任颐、任预均曾从其学画。他与当时苏州收藏家顾文彬之子顾承也相友善。
当时苏州书画家常在西园聚会，任薰与诸友常游宴其间，所见藏家名迹甚多，融会贯通，创作了不少优秀作品。据顾文彬《宦游鸿雪》中说，苏州怡园初建之前，顾曾推举任薰为园作设计图。怡园现存的园景布局分为东西两部，隔以曲折的复廊，并以漏窗沟通东西景色，使园景显得幽深玲珑，这是出于任薰构撰的结果。由此可知任薰还长于园林设计。
任薰与海上众多名家广有郊游。同治五年（1866年），与其胞兄任熊的生前挚友，早期海上名家范湖居士周闲[1]  合作，为吴昌硕画像，周闲填浣溪沙词一首。这幅任薰与周闲合作的吴昌硕画像后来被史树清题跋：“吴昌硕时年二十二岁，嘉兴名士周闲题浣溪沙词一首，可称相得益彰。二零零二年冬日史树青题”。

绘画上，任薰对人物、花卉、禽鸟、山水，皆具有很高的造诣。人物画取法陈洪绶及其兄任熊，然奇躯伟貌，别出匠心，尤其是晚年的一些大幅立轴，如《张旭草书图》、《簪花饮酒图》、《出征遇仙图》、《苏武牧羊图》、《天女散花图》等，运笔有如行草，气势沉雄；花鸟画如《松鹤图》、《荷花鸟》等，工写兼善，取景布局，能突破前人规范，富有奇趣。
他的画风直接影响了任颐、任预等的绘画创作，为清末上海画派中重要的画家之一。任薰作画题材广泛，对人物、山水、花卉、翎毛、走兽（马、羊等）
无所不能，更擅长花鸟、人物。粗写意、细双勾。技法初学其兄谓长，后吸取陈老莲的传统技法。用笔沉着力。
在构图上有其特长，在大小不同的画面上，创作出许多新颖、宽广、意境深远的作品，尤其适应扇面上的表现技法，能笔随意转，在极小的团扇、折扇画面上，开拓出广阔、妙趣盎然的意境。
任薰作品在结构上比较严谨，很重视疏密虚实的主从关系，无论一人、一花、一鸟的主从关系都能巧心安排得体。平淡中亦能出奇，宁静中又能生动。画面上给人一种空灵明快之感。
他的另一特点是工于着色，浓淡相宜，清新可爱，绝无柔媚习气。
他尤长于使用重彩着色，能把对比鲜明的色彩调和统一起来，使画面上的景色更显壮丽，又能从鲜艳色彩中透出古朴的意趣。任薰人物画，线条遒劲圆韧。尤其晚年人物衣褶，运笔如同书法中行草，似有行云流水之感，形态多奇伟的身躯，出乎 寻常容貌，带有性格的神态，别出心匠。

任薰作品在香港拍卖较多，1986年即有作品参加拍卖，1986年5月一件《双钩花鸟册》（共十二张）卖到45000港元。1989年5月又拍卖过两幅作品，一幅扇面《钟馗》以24200港元成交，另一幅《秋景山水》轴也是24000港元。1990年11月拍卖的一件《花卉草虫画集》册页价格偏低，只有17600港元，第二年9月是一件册页则达到12万港元，这是一件八开山水人物册页，山水人物比他的花卉草虫要珍贵得多。
任薰作品也在纽约拍卖，1989年拍卖的《人物》四屏立轴卖到18700美元，1990年11月拍卖的一幅《仕女》扇面是1540美元。1992年6月纽约苏富比公司又推出两幅任薰作品，一为山水轴（128.6*60.3），作于1876年，估价不高，为1200－1500美元，以1700美元成交。另一幅人物轴（92.7*41.3公分）由于起价太高而未拍出。

Ren Xun (1835-1893), the word Shun Qin, and word Fu Chang, his father Ren Chun, Xiong Ren Xiong are painters. Less lost his father, from the brother to learn painting, young people in Ningbo to sell paintings for a living, in 1868 and Ren Yi to Suzhou, after living in Suzhou, Shanghai. Ren Yi, Ren are from their pre-painting. Character and his brother Chen Hongshou with the teacher, commonly used high ancient hairspring, iron wire, flowing water, blue leaves several description method. Ren Xun rigorous scholarship, in the sketch, copy all under the hard work. Ren Xun and workers, flowers and birds, landscapes, portraits, ladies, painting Bocaizhongzhang, diverse appearance, full of new ideas. And Gu Wenbin Gu Chengxiang friendly, who has designed the garden. 1888 54 years of age blind, after the disease died in Suzhou. And Ren Xiong, Ren Yi called "three", pre-appointment as "four", and one of the representatives of the sea painting school.

Ren Xun childhood influence by his father, love painting, young people in Ningbo to sell paintings for a living. In late spring of 1868 and Ren Yi to Suzhou, turn in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, after the apartment Suzhou, Shanghai. Ren Yi, Ren Yujun have studied painting. He and the then Suzhou collector Gu Wenbin son of Gu Cheng also friendly.
At that time Suzhou painting and calligraphy often in the West Park party, Ren Xun and all friends often swim in the meantime, see a lot of traces of collectors, mastery, creating a lot of good works. According to Gu Wenbin, "Huan Yu Hong Xue," said that the Suzhou Yiyuan the early construction, Gu Ren Renxuan elected for the garden for the design. Yiyuan existing landscape layout is divided into two parts, separated by the twists and turns of the complex corridor, and to leak the window to communicate things scenery, so that the landscape looks deep and exquisite, which is out of any structure structure. It can be seen that Ren Xun is also longer than the garden design.
Ren Kaoru and many famous sea wide picnic. Tongzhi five years (1866), and his brother Ren Xiong's lifetime friend, early sea famous Fanhu lay Zhou leisure [1], Wu Changshuo portraits, Zhou Xian fill Huan Xisha word one. The portrait of Wu Changshuo, co-authored by Ren Xun and Zhou Zhou, was later annotated by Shi Shuqing: "Wu Shu-shuo was twenty-two years old and Jiaxing famous scholar Zhou Xiu-hsiu-xi was a word.

Painting, Ren Xun on the figures, flowers, birds, landscapes, all have very high attainments. Figure painting method Chen Hongshou and his brother Ren Xiong, then Qifu Wei appearance, not a masterpiece, especially in his later years, a number of significant vertical axis, such as "Zhang Xu cursive book", "hairpin drinking map", " Such as "Song He Tu," "lotus bird" and so on, the work of writing good, viewfinder layout, to break the previous norms, the rich and powerful, and so on, Trolltech.
His style of painting directly affected the Ren Yi, any pre-painting, as the late Qing painting school in Shanghai, one of the important painter. Ren Xun painting a wide range of subjects, the characters, landscapes, flowers, feathers, beasts (horses, sheep, etc.)
Omnipotent, more good at flowers and birds, people. Crude freehand, fine double hook. Skills beginner of his brother that long, after the traditional techniques of drawing Chenlao Lian. Use a pen to sink.
In the composition has its expertise in the size of different images, creating many new, broad, far-reaching works of art, in particular, to adapt to the fan on the performance techniques, the pen can freely turn, in a small fan, folding fan screen, Out of the vast, full of fun mood.
Ren Xun works more rigorous in structure, attaches great importance to the relationship between the actual situation, regardless of a person, a flower, a bird master-slave relationship can be arranged properly. Plain can also be surprising, quiet and vivid. On the screen gives a sense of ethereal and bright.
Another feature of his work in coloring, shades affordable, fresh and cute, no soft style.
He is particularly long in the use of color re-coloring, can contrast the harmonization of color harmony, so that the scenery on the screen even more magnificent, but also from the bright colors revealing the ancient charm. Ren Xun figure painting, line Qiu Jin round tough. Especially in the later years of the people pleated, pen as calligraphy in the grass, like a fluffy feeling, the shape of multi-Qi Wei's body, beyond ordinary appearance, with the character of the air,