Henri Rousseau Paintings

Rousseau was an original French painter, whose style sparked controversy in the 19th century

Henri Rousseau was an imaginative and highly original French artist who created a reputation which remains very strong even today.

His life was spent predominantly with in the 19th century and his best work came towards the end of that period, which also included several other crucial painters who are still internationally acclaimed today.

This website covers the full life and career of Henri Rousseau and lists all of his most famous paintings. You can also find Rousseau paintings here.

Henri Rousseau's paintings featured a very characteristic style that has been loosely classified with in the art movements of Post-Impressionism, Naive art and Primitivism.

Academically, his approach was treated with distain by many at the time of his career, but fans with in the mainstream art world have found great charm with in his paintings that has helped him to become a highly appreciated painter.

The best known works by Henri Rousseau included titles such as The Sleeping Gypsy, The Merry Jesters, The Snake Charmer and The Dream although the fuller list from his career is far longer and included further down the page.

A selection of his best paintings such as those mentioned here are included as images throughout this website, and accompanied by links from which you can buy your own Rousseau reproductions as framed or unframed giclee art prints, posters or stretched canvases.

Henri Rousseau featured a style within his work that whilst very original, and almost cartoon-like, bears some resemblance to certain artists who are known to have inspired him and served as study topics for a young Henri as he saught new influences at the start of his career.

Amongst the artists believed to have been of interest to Rousseau were Fernand Léger, Max Beckmann and Jean Hugo who were also based in contemporary periods.

Snake Charmer

Rousseau was determined to not let his art become too reliant on what had gone before and his individualistic approach was very important to him.

He remained relatively untrained and that helped to preserve his methods. Despite his clear dis-connection for academics there were two who are believed to have given him at least some guidance in his early days, namely Félix Auguste-Clément and Jean-Léon Gérôme.

They were two that he respected for their own impressive careers.

The artist consistently tried to get acceptance for his paintings and was constantly frustrated at his failure to do so, but it is only now that he has managed to get a broad level of approval, with Rousseau paintings becoming exceptionally popular as art reproductions, normally in the forms of framed giclee art prints, posters, stretched canvases and in some cases, handmade oil reproduction paintings.

Waterfall

Henri Rousseau jungle paintings are what the artist is best remembered for and he produced many charming works along the jungle theme, varying his choices of human characters and animals, as well as the surrounding foliage.

Examples of his jungle paintings included Exotic Landscape, Fight Between a Tiger and a Buffalo, In a Tropical Forest Combat of a Tiger and a Buffalo, The Equatorial Jungle, The Sleeping Gypsy, The Dream, The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope and Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!).

Henri Rousseau is just one of many impressive artists to have come from France during the 19th century, with most others linked to the supremely impressive and influential impressionist art movement which was spearheaded by the likes of Claude Monet.

Rousseau's own career was particularly separated by this as he struggled to gain academic acclaim for his own style which many considered to be childish and too simple.

Sleeping Gypsy

Sleeping Gypsy. Rousseau was a great example of yet another painter who brought contemporary ideas and unusual techniques to the art world that was to struggle during the life of the painter for acceptance, and only truly be appreciated and understood several generations after his life has passed by.

Contemporary styles often simplify objects and that is now an accepted form of art, and led to more extreme ideas such as abstraction.

In today's art world Henri Rousseau paintings can be found in many major art galleries and museums right across the world and his legacy can also be shown by the other artists who followed after him whose styles beared cleared similarities to the cartoon-like methods of Rousseau.

His use of charming animals within jungle scenes will proabably always remain what he is best known for.