Marcus Chen
Henri Rousseau, born in Laval, Mayenne, France, in 1844, was a French post-impressionist painter known for his richly coloured and meticulously detailed pictures of lush jungles, wild beasts, and exotic figures. Rousseau's work was often ridiculed by critics during his lifetime, but he eventually came to be recognized as a self-taught genius. Before becoming a full-time artist at the age of forty-nine, Rousseau worked as a toll and tax collector at the Paris customs office. His occupation earned him the nickname Le Douanier, meaning the customs officer.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Henri Julien Félix Rousseau |
| Birth Date | 21 May 1844 |
| Birth Place | Laval, Mayenne, France |
| Death Date | 2 September 1910 |
| Death Place | Paris, France |
| Occupation | Painter, Toll Collector, Tax Collector, Customs Officer, Government Employee |
| Nicknames | Le Douanier, The Customs Officer, The Toll Collector |
| Art Movement | Post-Impressionist, Naïve, Primitive, Surrealist |
| Art Style | Childlike, Amateurish, Unusual Compositions |
| Art Subjects | Jungle Scenes, Wild Beasts, Exotic Figures |
| Art Techniques | Self-Taught, No Formal Training, Unconventional |
| Influences | Nature, Academic Sculpture, Postcards, Tabloid Illustrations, Paris Public Zoo and Gardens, Academic Painters (Félix Auguste Clément, Jean-Léon Gérôme, William-Adolphe Bouguereau) |
| Admirers | Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, Jean Hugo, Leger, Beckman, Surrealists, Avant-Garde Artists |
| Notable Works | La Bohémienne Endormie (The Sleeping Gypsy), The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope, The Snake Charmer |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Henri Rousseau was a self-taught painter
In 1868, Rousseau moved to Paris to support his widowed mother as a government employee. That same year, he married Clémence Boitard, his landlord's 15-year-old daughter, with whom he had six children, only one of whom, Julia, survived into adulthood. In 1871, he was appointed as a collector of the octroi of Paris, collecting taxes on goods entering the city. This job earned him the nickname "Le Douanier," meaning "the toll collector."
Rousseau started painting seriously in his early forties. By the time he was 49, he retired from his job to pursue art full-time. He claimed he had "no teacher other than nature" and was essentially self-taught, although he did receive "some advice" from established academic painters Félix Auguste Clément and Jean-Léon Gérôme. Rousseau's amateurish technique and unusual compositions were derided by contemporary critics, but they earned the respect and admiration of modern artists like Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, and Jean Hugo, who recognised his genius and the high artistic quality of his work.
Rousseau's best-known works are lush, meticulously detailed, and richly coloured jungle scenes, even though he never left France or saw a jungle. His inspiration came from illustrations in children's books, botanical gardens in Paris, and tableaux of taxidermy wild animals. He often depicted wild beasts and exotic figures, and his work is celebrated for its fantastic and outrageous imagery.
Wild Wings Asheville: Paint Nites for Creative Fun
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Rousseau's work was ridiculed by critics
Henri Julien Félix Rousseau was a French post-impressionist painter in the Naïve or Primitive manner. He was also known as Le Douanier, or the "Customs Officer", a humorous description of his occupation as a toll and tax collector. Rousseau claimed he had “no teacher other than nature”, although he did admit to receiving "some advice" from established academic painters Félix Auguste Clément and Jean-Léon Gérôme. Essentially, he was self-taught and is considered a naïve or primitive painter.
Rousseau started painting seriously in his early forties. By the time he was 49, he had retired from his job to work on his art full-time. In 1893, he moved to a studio in Montparnasse, where he lived and worked until his death in 1910. In 1897, he produced one of his most famous paintings, La Bohémienne endormie (The Sleeping Gypsy). In 1905, Rousseau's large jungle scene, The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope, was exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants near works by younger leading avant-garde artists such as Henri Matisse, in what is now seen as the first showing of The Fauves.
Rousseau's work exerted an extensive influence on several generations of avant-garde artists. After exhibiting with the Fauves in 1905, he gained the admiration of avant-garde artists. In 1907, he was commissioned by artist Robert Delaunay's mother, Berthe, Comtesse de Delaunay, to paint The Snake Charmer. When Pablo Picasso happened upon a painting by Rousseau being sold on the street as a canvas to be painted over, he instantly recognised Rousseau's genius and went to meet him. In 1908, Picasso held a half-serious, half-burlesque banquet in his studio at Le Bateau-Lavoir in Rousseau's honour.
Quickly Moving Paint Layers in Substance Painter: An Easy Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
He was a toll and tax collector
Henri Julien Félix Rousseau, born on May 21, 1844, in Laval, Mayenne, France, was a French post-impressionist painter. He is considered the archetype of the modern naive artist and is best known for his richly coloured and meticulously detailed pictures of lush jungles, wild beasts, and exotic figures. Rousseau claimed he had "no teacher other than nature" and was essentially self-taught. He is considered a naive or primitive painter.
Rousseau came from a modest background. He was a mediocre student and left secondary school in Laval without completing his studies. After high school, he worked for a lawyer and studied law but soon sought refuge in the army. He served for four years, starting in 1863. After his father's death in 1868, Rousseau moved to Paris to support his widowed mother as a government employee. In the same year, he married Clémence Boitard, his landlord's 15-year-old daughter, with whom he had six children, only one of whom survived.
In 1871, Rousseau was appointed a collector of the octroi of Paris, collecting taxes on goods entering the city. From this post, he gained the nickname "Le Douanier", meaning "the Customs Officer", a humorous description of his occupation as a toll and tax collector. His job as a customs officer required only occasional periods of diligence, and it is possible that he was able to practice drawing during slow periods at work. Despite his occupation, Rousseau found time to draw and paint. Although no works from this period remain, he had probably drawn and painted since childhood, and his stated ambition was to become a painter in the style of the academicians of his day.
In 1884, at the age of forty, Rousseau obtained permission to copy paintings at the Louvre, and he began to paint in earnest. In 1886, he exhibited some of his first paintings at the Salon des Indépendants, although his work was not placed prominently. In 1891, his painting "Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised)!" was exhibited, and he received his first serious review from the young artist Félix Vallotton, who wrote: "His tiger surprising its prey ought not to be missed; it's the alpha and omega of painting."
In 1893, Rousseau retired from his job at the Paris Customs Office to work on his art full-time. He moved to a studio in Montparnasse, where he lived and worked until his death in 1910. Despite being ridiculed by critics during his lifetime, Rousseau came to be recognised as a self-taught genius, and his works are now considered to be of high artistic quality. His art exerted an extensive influence on several generations of avant-garde artists, including Pablo Picasso, who organised a banquet in his honour in 1908.
Transform Heirloom Furniture with Antiquing Techniques
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Rousseau's nickname was 'Le Douanier'
Henri Julien Félix Rousseau was a French post-impressionist painter in the Naïve or Primitive manner. He is best known for his richly coloured and meticulously detailed pictures of lush jungles, wild beasts, and exotic figures. Rousseau is considered the archetype of the modern naive artist. He was also known as Le Douanier, a humorous description of his occupation as a toll and tax collector.
Rousseau was born in Laval, Mayenne, France, in 1844 into the family of a tinsmith. He left secondary school without completing his studies and subsequently worked for a lawyer and studied law. However, he "attempted a small perjury and sought refuge in the army", serving for four years starting in 1863. After his father's death in 1868, Rousseau moved to Paris to support his widowed mother as a government employee. In the same year, he married Clémence Boitard, his landlord's 15-year-old daughter, with whom he had six children, only one of whom survived.
In 1871, Rousseau was appointed as a collector of the octroi of Paris, collecting taxes on goods entering the city. This job earned him the nickname "Le Douanier", which means "the customs officer" or "the toll collector". Despite the name, the toll office had no real customs functions. Rousseau held this position until his retirement in 1893, when he began to supplement his small pension with part-time jobs such as playing the violin on the streets. During his time as a toll and tax collector, Rousseau continued to pursue his artistic interests, and it is likely that he had time to draw and paint during slow periods at work.
Rousseau started painting seriously in his early forties, and by the age of 49, he retired from his job to work on his art full-time. He exhibited his first paintings in 1886 at the Salon des Indépendants, and although his work was not initially prominent, it gradually gained a following. In 1891, his painting "Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised)!" was exhibited, and he received his first serious review from the young artist Félix Vallotton, who praised the work as "the alpha and omega of painting". Despite facing ridicule from critics during his lifetime, Rousseau came to be recognised as a self-taught genius, with his works exerting a significant influence on several generations of avant-garde artists.
Removing Image Backgrounds with Paint: A Transparent Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
He was influenced by academic sculpture and tabloids
Henri Julien Félix Rousseau was a French post-impressionist painter known for his richly coloured and meticulously detailed pictures of lush jungles, wild beasts, and exotic figures. Rousseau is considered the archetype of the modern naive artist, and his work has influenced several generations of avant-garde artists. Rousseau claimed he had "no teacher other than nature", and he is often regarded as a self-taught genius. However, he did admit to receiving "some advice" from two established Academic painters, Félix Auguste Clément and Jean-Léon Gérôme.
Rousseau's early life was marked by hardship and tragedy. Born into a modest family, he was forced to work as a young child and later attended Laval High School, where he was a mediocre student. After his father became a debtor and his family was forced to leave town, Rousseau boarded at the school. Following his high school years, he worked for a lawyer and studied law, but he soon sought refuge in the army after committing perjury. He served in the army for four years, starting in 1863, and in 1868, he moved to Paris to support his widowed mother as a government employee.
Rousseau began his career as a painter in his early forties, and by the age of 49, he retired from his job as a toll and tax collector to pursue his art full-time. His ambition was to become a painter in the style of the academicians of his day, and he sought inspiration from academic sculpture and tableaux of taxidermy wild animals. He also found inspiration in the botanical gardens of Paris, such as the Jardin des Plantes, and in illustrations from children's books.
Rousseau's work often depicted jungle scenes, even though he never left France or saw a jungle himself. His most famous paintings include "La Bohémienne endormie" (The Sleeping Gypsy), "The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope", and "The Snake Charmer". Despite being ridiculed by critics during his lifetime, Rousseau's art was admired by many of his peers, including Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Fernand Léger, Jean Metzinger, and Max Beckmann. His influence extended beyond the realm of painting, impacting poets such as Wallace Stevens and Sylvia Plath.
Finding the Paint Code for Your 1998 Toyota Tacoma
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
No, the painter Henri Rousseau worked at the Paris Customs Office, also known as the toll office, where he collected taxes on goods entering Paris.
Rousseau was nicknamed "Le Douanier", which translates to "the Customs Officer" or "the toll collector".
Rousseau got the nickname "Le Douanier" from his job at the Paris Customs Office.
