Henri Rousseau

Introduction
Early life
Civil service career and early paintings
Later paintings and recognition
Legacy

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Henri Rousseau: Myself: Portrait-Landscape

Henri Rousseau: The Luxembourg Gardens. Monument to Chopin

Henri Rousseau: View of the Fortifications to the Left of the Gate of Vanves

Henri Rousseau: In a Tropical Forest. Struggle Between Tiger and Bull

Plate 25: “The Snake-Charmer,” oil painting by Henri Rousseau, 1907. In the Louvre, Paris. 1.7 X 1.8 m.

At a Glance

Henri Rousseau summary

Quizzes

Color pastels, colored chalk, colorful chalk. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, history and society

Ultimate Art Quiz

Close-up of a palette held by a man. Mixing paint, painting, color mixing.

Artists, Painters, & Architects

Tate Modern extension Switch House, London, England. (Tavatnik, museums). Photo dated 2017.

Can You Match These Lesser-Known Paintings to Their Artists?

"The Birth of Venus," tempera on canvas by Sandro Botticelli, c. 1485; in the Uffizi, Florence.

Who Painted the Most Expensive Paintings in the World?

Related Questions

How did Alfred Jarry help Henri Rousseau gain recognition?
How did Henri Rousseau combine decorative patterns with dramatic scenes in his paintings?
How did Henri Rousseau continue painting while working at the Paris toll office?
How did Henri Rousseau earn extra income in Paris?
How did Henri Rousseau explain the unusual scene in The Dream?
How did Henri Rousseau learn to paint without formal art training?
How did Henri Rousseau paint the plants in his jungle scenes?
How did Henri Rousseau’s reputation change after his death?
How did Henri Rousseau’s use of color contribute to the mood of his paintings?
How did Pablo Picasso support Henri Rousseau?
How did exhibiting The Hungry Lion with the Fauves affect Henri Rousseau’s reputation?
How did the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris inspire Henri Rousseau?
How did the Salon des Indépendants differ from the official French Salon?
How does Carnival Evening show Henri Rousseau’s detailed painting style?
How does The Sleeping Gypsy create a feeling of both peace and danger?
How long did Henri Rousseau serve in the military?
What is depicted in Henri Rousseau’s painting The Dream?
What is shown in Henri Rousseau’s The Sleeping Gypsy?
What kind of work did Henri Rousseau do before becoming a full-time painter?
What kinds of animals and events appear in Henri Rousseau’s jungle paintings?
When and where was Henri Rousseau born?
When did Henri Rousseau move to Paris?
When did Henri Rousseau paint The Dream?
When did Henri Rousseau paint The Sleeping Gypsy?
When did Henri Rousseau retire from his toll office job?
When was Henri Rousseau honored with a retrospective exhibition at the Salon des Indépendants?
Where did Henri Rousseau study plants for his jungle paintings?
Which Henri Rousseau painting was displayed alongside works by Henri Matisse and André Derain in 1905?
Which art dealer bought paintings by Henri Rousseau after critics began responding positively to his work?
Which nonpainting arts did Henri Rousseau attempt in addition to painting?
Which painting marked Henri Rousseau’s debut at the Salon des Indépendants in 1886?
Which review first published praise for Henri Rousseau’s art?
Why did Henri Rousseau copy paintings at the Louvre?
Why did Henri Rousseau want Laval to own The Sleeping Gypsy?
Why did the mayor of Laval refuse to buy The Sleeping Gypsy?
Why do Henri Rousseau’s jungle paintings look detailed even though they are called naive art?
Why was Henri Rousseau known as le Douanier?
Why was Henri Rousseau’s painting The War important to his career?
What is Joan Miró famous for?
Why is Edvard Munch so famous?
What was the tragedy of Edvard Munch?
What is Edvard Munch most known for?
What was the impact of Edvard Munch’s work on modern art?
Why is Francisco Goya famous?
What was Wassily Kandinsky known for?
Why did Wassily Kandinsky leave Germany?
What was significant about Henri Matisse’s Jazz?
What was Claude Monet’s early life like?

Visual Arts Painting Painters

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External Websites

Guggenheim - Biography of Henri Rousseau
The Art Story - Biography of Henri Rousseau

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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Henri Rousseau - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Henri Rousseau

French painter

Also known as: Le Douanier

Written by

Dora Vallier

Art critic. Author of Henri Rousseau: Catalogue raisonné de l&hamzah;oeuvre; Henri Rousseau; and others.

Dora Vallier

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

History

Henri Rousseau (born May 21, 1844, Laval, France—died Sept. 2, 1910, Paris) was a French painter who is considered the archetype of the modern naive artist. He is known for his richly colored and meticulously detailed pictures of lush jungles, wild beasts, and exotic figures. After exhibiting with the Fauves in 1905, he gained the admiration of avant-garde artists. Rousseau, the son of a tinsmith, came from a modest background. He was a mediocre student,...

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