Henri Rousseau
1844–1910 · Naïve, folk & other
Biography
Henri Rousseau (1844–1910), nicknamed “Le Douanier” because he worked as a toll collector in Paris, was a self-taught painter. His naive jungle and dream scenes were mocked at first but admired by Picasso and the avant-garde.
From the artist’s life
Henri Rousseau’s faith in his own abilities never wavered, even though his art was mocked almost throughout his career. When he arrived in Paris in 1868, he concentrated solely on his dream of becoming an artist. Although he “had no teacher but nature”, Rousseau also strove for the traditional painting style of the time, yet in the end it was the innocence and naive charm of his works that brought him recognition. Rousseau’s paintings were then exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris — a freer version of the official Salon — where only his extremely modest personality protected him from merciless criticism. After many years of exhibiting he met with an increasingly favourable reception, and some of the modern artists of the time began to support him. The disparaging remarks, however, left a permanent thorn in his side. The naive but highly ambitious Rousseau was convinced of his artistic talent, yet full of a sense of inferiority stemming from his lack of education. As he remarks in his autobiographical writing: “If my parents had discovered my talent for painting… I would now be the greatest and richest artist in France.”
From the page of Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!)
Henri Rousseau was born in Laval, a town on the borders of Normandy. In 1868 he moved to Paris and worked for more than twenty years at the customs office, which gave him his lifelong nickname: Le Douanier (the Customs Officer). In 1893 he retired and devoted all his time to painting. He moved into his small Paris studio and supplemented his income by teaching drawing and music. Although Rousseau aspired to the rank of the famous Salon painters — Bouguereau, Gérôme and Clément — he could not paint in an academic style. In the end, of course, it was naïveté that gave his works their unique character, as the French painter Fernand Léger aptly summed up: “Fortunately he never had time to take drawing lessons.”
From the page of The Dream
