Henri Rousseau

Henri Rousseau was a French painter, the greatest of the so-called 'modern primitives' or naive painters. He painted portraits, figure subjects, landscapes, still lifes and jungle scenes. Rousseau served in the army 1863 - 1868, then moved to Paris and became clerk to a bailiff. He entered the octroi service of Paris in 1871 as a dues collector (gabelou) at toll stations on the outskirts of Paris. Rousseau began to paint, self-taught, about the age of 40 and exhibited regularly from 1886 at the Salon des Independents. He retired from the octroi in 1893 in order to paint, but also supported himself by various odd jobs and later by giving painting and music lessons. Rousseau exhibited at the Salon d'Automne as well as the Independents 1905-1907. He was 'discovered' about 1906-1907 by Vollard, Apollinaire, Robert Delaunay, Picasso and Uhde, who admired and bought his work, and attended his musical soirees; Picasso gave a memorable" banque" in his honor in 1908. Many stories are told of his extreme naivete.

Henri Rousseau Images:
Detail From Tiger In A Tropical Storm (Surprised), 1891
Eve and the Serpent 1904-1905
Exotic Landscape, 1908
Fleurs
Flowers With A Green Background
Flowers With A Lavender Background
Jungle Sunset
Springtime in the Valley of the Bievre
Surprise! Storm in Forest
Surprise, 1891
The Dream, 1910
The Football Players ,1908
The Sleeping Gypsy
The Sleeping Gypsy - La Bohemienne Endomie
The Sleeping Gypsy, 1897
The Snake Charmer
The Snake Charmer, 1907
The Waterfall,1910
Tiger in a Storm
Virgin Forest