1. Henri Rousseau 1844-1910 Primitive Painter

2. Biographical Facts Born in France Had little schooling Joined the army Became toll booth worker on the river Started painting in his forties Had very sad personal life

3. Artistic Background “I had no teacher other than nature.” No formal training-self taught Primitive perspective The objects is his paintings were often out of proportion—Example: person bigger that a tree or mountain At first, people made fun of his pictures-they said he painted like a child Later in life people began to buy his work- even Picasso admired him

4. Rousseau’s Work Best paintings of jungles even though he never went to a jungle He used books, stuffed animals and plants he saw in the botanical gardens “When I go to the glass houses, I see the strange plants of exotic lands, it seems to me I enter into a dream.”

5. Technique Painted sky and then added people or animals in the foreground Often used 50 different colors of green