Henri Rousseau
Rousseau never saw a jungle. He never left France. His tropical forests, the tigers crouching in undergrowth, the snakes winding through moonlit vegetation, all of it came from the hothouses at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. He told the critic Arsene Alexandre: when I go into the glass houses and I see the strange plants of exotic lands, it seems to me that I enter into a dream. He studied the stuffed animals in the same gardens, squinting at mounted tigers to get the pose right.
Biography
He was a toll collector, not a customs officer, though the nickname Le Douanier (The Customs Officer) stuck anyway. He worked at the Paris toll office from 1871[7] and started painting seriously at forty, entirely self-taught. He had no formal training whatsoever.
The critics were merciless. He exhibited regularly at the Salon des Independants from 1886[7], and one reviewer in 1891 said he painted with his feet, with a blindfold over his eyes. The flat perspective, the stiff figures, the botanical precision combined with anatomical improbability: everything about his work looked wrong by the standards of the academy. He never stopped exhibiting and never appeared to notice the ridicule.
He was also convicted of bank fraud and spent time in prison. At his trial, his lawyer held up one of his paintings and argued that a man who painted like this could not possibly have understood what a cheque was. The defence reportedly helped reduce his sentence.
Picasso found one of his paintings being sold on the street as a blank canvas to be painted over. He recognised it immediately, sought Rousseau out, and in 1908[7] organised a banquet in his honour at the Bateau-Lavoir studio. The evening was part tribute, part farce, attended by the Parisian avant-garde. Apollinaire read a poem. Wax from the lanterns dripped onto Rousseau's head. He fell asleep. The event cemented his reputation among the artists who would matter most in the coming decades, even as mainstream critics continued to dismiss him. He died in 1910[7]. A retrospective followed the next year.
Timeline
- 1844Born
- 1890Painted "Myself: Portrait – Landscape"
- 1891Painted "Tiger in a Tropical Storm"
- 1897Painted "The Sleeping Gypsy"
- 1907Painted "La encantadora de serpientes"
- 1910Died
- 1910Painted "The Dream"
Watch
Notable Works
Tap to view larger.
Where to See Henri Rousseau
29 museums worldwide.
-
-
-
-
-
-
7 worksJean Walter-Paul Guillaume Collection
Paris, France
Henri Rousseau prints
Hand-finished archival prints from Henri Rousseau's body of work.
Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!) - Henri Rousseau
From £28.00
The Snake Charmer - Henri Rousseau
From £28.00
The Sleeping Gypsy by Henri Rousseau – Naïve Art Surreal Desert Scene Print
From £28.00
The Dream by Henri Rousseau – Naïve Art Jungle Fantasy Print
From £28.00
Bouquet of Flowers with Ivy Branch by Henri Rousseau – Vintage Botanical Still Life Print
From £28.00
Macaw in the Canopy – Rousseau Jungle Print
From £28.00
Related Artists
Take Henri Rousseau home.
See all Henri Rousseau prints →Frequently Asked Questions
Did henri rousseau ever leave france?
Henri Julien Félix Rousseau never travelled outside of France. However, his colleagues' adventures in Mexico inspired him to create legends of his own foreign journeys.How did henri rousseau die?
Henri Rousseau died in 1910[7] at the age of 66.How did henri rousseau paint?
Henri Julien Félix Rousseau's paintings were considered naive.Was henri rousseau an impressionist?
Henri Julien Félix Rousseau was part of the group of the Indépendants, because he believed that creators should have freedom in what they produce.Was henri rousseau self taught?
Henri Julien Félix Rousseau was an untrained hobby painter. He quit his job at age 40 to paint full-time, confident in his ability.What is Henri Rousseau's most famous work?
Henri Rousseau (1844[7]-1910[7]), also known as the Douanier Rousseau, created works that often depicted exotic countries he had never visited. These imaginative scenes were frequently inspired by simple sources, such as plants in botanical gardens or pictures of wild animals in magazines. One of his well-known pieces is titled *The Snake Charmer*. This painting came about after the young painter Robert Delaunay invited Rousseau to his mother's house. Mrs Delaunay recounted her travels in India, and Rousseau then created this painting, which he described as a representation of paradise. This work features pink flamingos and tamed dragons. Other notable works by Rousseau include *Liberty Inviting the Artists to Take Part in the 22nd Exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants*, 1906[7], and *View of the Bridge at Sèvres and the Hills of Clamart and Bellevue*, 1908. His style was distinctive, and his "jungle" paintings were considered dreamlike visions, which later found appreciation among the surrealists.What should I know about Henri Rousseau's prints?
Henri Rousseau (1844[7]-1910[7]) was a French[7] Post-Impressionist painter. He is also known as Le Douanier (the customs officer), because he worked for the Paris customs service. Rousseau began painting seriously in his forties, teaching himself. Rousseau is best known for his paintings of jungle scenes. These paintings are not based on direct observation of jungles. Instead, Rousseau drew inspiration from illustrated books, botanical gardens, and visits to the zoo. His work often featured exotic animals and lush vegetation, rendered with a naive style and careful attention to detail. Although Rousseau is celebrated for his paintings, his printmaking is less well known. He produced a small number of lithographs and other graphic works. These prints often mirrored the themes and imagery found in his paintings. They include depictions of Parisian cityscapes and scenes of daily life, as well as his signature jungle imagery. These prints offer a different perspective on Rousseau's artistic vision, showing his ability to translate his unique style into different media. They are characterised by flat planes, strong outlines, and a dreamlike quality.What style or movement did Henri Rousseau belong to?
Henri Rousseau (1844[7]-1910[7]) was a French[7] Post-Impressionist painter working in a naive or primitive manner. He was self-taught and began painting seriously in his forties after retiring from his post as a customs collector. Rousseau's style is characterised by its flat perspective, bold colours, and meticulous attention to detail. His subjects included jungle scenes, portraits, and allegorical compositions. Despite his lack of formal training, Rousseau exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants, beginning in 1886[7], and his work gained recognition from avant-garde artists like Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. His paintings often depict dreamlike or fantastical scenarios, featuring exotic animals and lush vegetation. These images came from illustrated books and the botanical gardens in Paris, rather than direct observation. Although critics often dismissed his work during his lifetime, Rousseau's unique vision has had a significant influence on subsequent generations of artists, particularly Surrealists and other painters interested in exploring the subconscious and the imagination. His distinctive approach sets him apart from mainstream movements of his time.What techniques or materials did Henri Rousseau use?
Henri Rousseau (1844[7]-1910[7]) was a self-taught painter who began painting in his spare time, probably around 1880[7]. From 1871 to 1893, he worked as a low-ranking clerk in the Paris municipal toll-collecting service. He retired in 1893 to paint full time. Rousseau sought a precise, highly finished execution in his paintings. He claimed to have received advice from the Neo-Classical painters Gerome and Clement. Rousseau's method involved executing details of foliage from twigs and branches, which he brought back to his studio. He similarly created his jungle scenes from studies made in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. He also used visual sources, often from popular illustration, to supply him with raw material for his figure arrangements. He meticulously finished the painting's surface so that no brushstrokes were visible. Despite this, his figures were often flat, and his scale, proportion, and perspective were skewed.What was Henri Rousseau known for?
Henri Rousseau (1844[7]-1910[7]), often called the Douanier Rousseau, was known for his imaginative paintings, particularly those depicting exotic jungle scenes. These works are striking for their dreamlike quality and clear vision. Rousseau never visited the jungles he painted. Instead, he drew inspiration from botanical gardens, magazines, and stories told by others. For example, after hearing about India from Robert Delaunay’s mother, he painted *The Snake Charmer*. This work presents an imagined paradise with pink flamingos and dragons. Other notable paintings by Rousseau include *Liberty Inviting the Artists to Take Part in the 22nd Exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants* (1906[7]) and *View of the Bridge at Sèvres and the Hills of Clamart and Bellevue* (1908). His unique style made him popular with the surrealists.When did Henri Rousseau live and work?
Henri Rousseau (1844[7]-1910[7]) was a French[7] Post-Impressionist painter who is also categorised as a Naïve or Primitive artist. He was born in Laval, Pays de la Loire. He is known for his jungle scenes and portraits, and he also painted some allegorical works. Rousseau began painting seriously in his early forties. Before this, he worked in the Paris customs office; this is why he was nicknamed "Le Douanier" (the customs officer). He was self-taught and claimed he had "no teacher other than nature". His work was initially criticised, but he gained recognition from younger artists, including Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Rousseau began exhibiting at the Salon des Indépendants in 1886[7]. His paintings often featured dreamlike qualities and detailed imagery. Some of his most recognised works include "Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!)" (1891), "The Sleeping Gypsy" (1897), and "The Dream" (1910). Rousseau continued to paint until his death in 1910 in Paris.Where are henri rousseau's paintings?
Henri Julien Félix Rousseau's Portrait of a Woman is located at the Musée Picasso in Paris. His Portrait of Pierre Loti is located at the Kunsthaus Zürich, Zürich.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Henri Rousseau.
- [1] museum Brooklyn Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum Buffalo AKG Art Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Yoshino Gypsum Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Städel Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum National Galleries Scotland Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] wikipedia Wikipedia: Henri Rousseau Used for: biography, birth dates, death dates, identifiers, movement attribution, nationality.
- [8] book guggenheim-guhe00solo Used for: biography.
- [9] book Brodskaïa, Nathalia; , Impressionism and Post-Impressionism Used for: biography.
- [10] book Brodskaïa, Nathalia, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism (Essential) Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-07-13. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
Editorial standardsMethodologyCorrectionsAI disclosureAbout the editorial team