Henri Rousseau

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Rousseau, Henri: Myself: Portrait-Landscape

Rousseau, Henri: The Luxembourg Gardens. Monument to Chopin

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

Rousseau, Henri: 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.

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Arts & Culture

Henri Rousseau

French painter

Also known as: Le Douanier

Written by Dora Vallier

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 4, 2024 • Article History

Rousseau, Henri: Myself: Portrait-Landscape

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Category: Arts & Culture

Byname:: le Douanier (French: “the Customs Officer”)

Born:: May 21, 1844, Laval, France

Died:: Sept. 2, 1910, Paris (aged 66)

Movement / Style:: Der Blaue Reiter

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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 coloured 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, and he left the secondary school in Laval without having completed his studies. He soon entered military service, in which he remained for four years. ...(100 of 1629 words)

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