Art Guide · Painters
Henri Rousseau
1844–1910
Henri Rousseau (1844–1910) was a self-taught French painter known for his dreamlike jungle scenes, painted without ever leaving France, and his naïve style; he is nicknamed “Le Douanier” (the customs officer).
Last updated: · Iconica Society editors
Life
Born in Laval, he worked for years as a toll and tax collector at the gates of Paris, which gave him his nickname. He began painting in his forties without any training and devoted himself to it fully after retiring in 1893.
His work was long ridiculed, but young avant-garde artists admired him; in 1908 Picasso held a famous banquet in his honour in his studio.
Style and key works
Rousseau’s jungles are an imagined nature drawn from Paris’s botanical gardens, the zoo and illustrated magazines: layers of leaves, giant flowers and calm-eyed animals. His last painting, The Dream (1910), is in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Key works
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Frequently asked questions
How did Rousseau paint jungles?
He never visited the tropics; he drew on the greenhouses of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, the zoo and pictures in books.
What is naïve art?
The simple, flat style of untrained artists, often ignoring the rules of perspective; Rousseau is its most famous representative.