Collection: Rousseau

1844-1910

Henri Rousseau (May 21, 1844 – September 2, 1910) was a French post-impressionist painter, known for his distinctive "naïve" style, characterized by bright colors, bold outlines, and dreamlike jungle scenes, despite never having left France. He was also known as Le Douanier (the customs officer), a humorous description of his occupation as a toll and tax collector. His notable works include The Sleeping Gypsy (1897), The Dream (1910), and Tiger in a Tropical Storm (1891). Rousseau was largely self-taught and faced criticism from academic artists for his lack of formal training. He worked as a customs officer while pursuing painting in his spare time, often depicting fantastical landscapes inspired by his imagination rather than real-world observations. Though initially ridiculed by critics and peers, his work gained recognition later in life, especially among avant-garde artists including Pablo Picasso, Vasily Kandinsky, and Frida Kahlo. Rousseau's art had a lasting influence on both Surrealism and Modernism.