Henri Rousseau

1844-1910

European Artist

Henri Rousseau was born in Laval, France. He worked with the Paris Customs Office for 23 years. He took up painting as a hobby and accepted early retirement in 1893 so he could devote himself to art. He suffered much ridicule as well as enduring great poverty; however, his faith in his own abilities never wavered. He tried to paint in the academic manner of such traditionalist artists as Bouguereau and Gerome, but it was the innocence and charm of his work that won him the admiration of the avant-garde. In 1908 Picasso gave a banquet in his honor. Rousseau is now best known for his jungle scenes. His works showed great imaginative power, in which his extraordinary ability to retain the utter freshness of his vision even when working on a large scale and with complete attention to detail.