Painting by Henri Rousseau 1844-1910
La Guerre
Henri Rousseau was a self-taught Sunday painter who began his artistic journey in earnest at the age of 40. During his lifetime, he was often belittled, and even today, some art critics view his works as charming but not serious art. His working-class background posed a significant challenge to gaining recognition in the art world.
The images on this page are from the Wikimedia Commons repository under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Henri Julien Rousseau was born in Laval, Northern France, into a plumber's family. As a child, Henri showed an interest in both music and drawing. Although he dreamed of becoming an artist, his family’s modest financial means made this aspiration seem unattainable.
After completing the lycée, a type of high school, Rousseau briefly worked for a lawyer before joining the French army in 1863. He later claimed to have served in Mexico, but art historians widely consider this assertion to be fictional.
In 1868, Rousseau took a minor job at the French Customs Department, collecting tolls from local farmers bringing goods to Paris markets. This role earned him the nickname le douanier, meaning the customs officer.
Rousseau’s job provided him with enough free time to pursue painting. In 1884, he obtained a permit to make sketches and copies in Paris museums. A year later, two of his works were exhibited at the Salon des Champs-Élysées.
From 1886 until his death, Rousseau exhibited annually at the Salon des Indépendants, a platform for avant-garde artists. Unlike the juried and formal Salon des Artistes Français, the Salon des Indépendants allowed any artist to display their work for a fee, fostering a more inclusive environment.
Painting by Henri Rousseau 1844-1910
La Charmeuse de Serpents
In 1893, at the age of 49, Rousseau retired on a modest pension to dedicate himself fully to art. To supplement his income, he offered violin and painting lessons, created commissioned portraits, and even performed as a street musician.
Rousseau’s signature theme was jungle scenes populated by wild animals such as tigers, monkeys, and buffaloes. These exotic landscapes were likely inspired by visits to the Botanical Garden in Paris, while the animals were depicted from photographs and illustrations in his daughter’s drawing books.
His works often contained imaginative inaccuracies, such as bananas growing upside down or animals from different continents appearing together in unrealistic combinations.
Self-taught in technique, Rousseau painted methodically, applying colors one at a time—blue, green, and so forth—and working from the top to the bottom of the canvas. Despite a lack of formal training, his unique methods contributed to his distinctive style.
Towards the end of his life, Rousseau’s work evolved to depict imaginative, dreamlike worlds. This thematic shift earned him posthumous recognition as a precursor to the Surrealist movement.
Painting by Henri Rousseau 1844-1910
Carnival Evening
Despite his outsider status, Rousseau gained the attention of prominent avant-garde artists. Whether they genuinely appreciated his work or viewed him as a curiosity is still debated. Notable figures such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Edgar Degas, Odilon Redon, Auguste Renoir, Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and Wassily Kandinsky recognized his originality.
It is remarkable how Rousseau, a working-class artist with no formal training, remained immune to the influences of his avant-garde contemporaries. Unlike many who sought to assimilate trends like Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, or Cubism, Rousseau stayed true to his unique style, setting him apart in the art world.
Painting by Henri Rousseau 1844-1910
Mauvaise Surprise
In 1908, a banquet was organized in Rousseau’s honor by Picasso, with attendees including Apollinaire, Robert Delaunay, and Wilhelm Uhde. For Rousseau, being acknowledged by the avant-garde was a significant validation.
Rousseau’s naïve confidence in his talent was evident in a remark he made to Picasso:
"We are the two greatest painters of this era: you in the Egyptian style and I in the modern style!"
By “Egyptian style,” Rousseau referred to the African tribal influences in Picasso’s work, which helped shape the Cubist movement. His statement highlights both his self-belief and his detachment from reality.
Shortly before Rousseau’s death, art dealer Ambroise Vollard acquired several of his paintings, recognizing their potential value.
Henri Julien Rousseau passed away on September 2, 1910, in Paris at the age of 66. His friend Apollinaire composed the epitaph engraved on his tombstone:
"We salute you
Gentle Rousseau, you can hear us
Delaunay, his wife, Monsieur Queval, and myself
Let our luggage pass duty-free through the gates
of heaven
We will bring you brushes, paints, and canvas
That you may spend your sacred leisure in the
light of truth
Painting as you once did my portrait
Facing the stars."
In 1911, Wilhelm Uhde organized a memorial exhibition for Rousseau at the Salon des Indépendants and published his first biography. Posthumously, Rousseau’s paintings gained significant recognition, sharing a fate similar to that of Paul Gauguin — achieving fame only after death.
Author:
Dieter Wanczura
First Publication: 5/24/2001
Latest Update: 11/23/2024
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