A naive weirdo who was laughed at by the whole society and whose paintings were ahead of their time. Primitivist Henri Rousseau

Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) was a French artist who worked in the style of naive (primitivism), who always dreamed of painting like real academicians, but his education and technique were clearly insufficient for this. Rousseau was sincerely upset about this and did not even suspect that he was much more talented than many academicians who were on the rumor at the time, simply because they were unable to come up with anything new. Rousseau became one of the founders of a whole direction in painting.

A jaguar attacking a horse

And his paintings, like those of Niko Pirosmani, were also a reflection of the life and character of the artist himself - naive, somewhat ridiculous, constantly criticized and ridiculed by good people who were just too sure they were right and could not go beyond society's preconceptions about "real art". On the other hand, it's nice to know that the weirdo Rousseau succeeded, and much better than he could have dreamed.

Self-Portrait

Rousseau's father was a poor tinsmith in a provincial French town, and about any lessons in painting Henri could not even think. Yes, and in school he studied mediocre, making small successes only in music and math. Then he began to work in a law office and then his "buddies" noticed that simple-minded Rousseau has access to the accounting safe,instigated to steal the money there. However, Rousseau was quickly captured, the amount was small, but enough to go to jail for a year. However, Rousseau decided to join the military, which would have given him an exemption from punishment, but he would have had to serve for 7 years.

War (Horsewoman of Discord)

But soon Rousseau's father died and he was left as the sole breadwinner in the family. He was released from service and Rousseau took a not too enviable and at that time the position of bailiff. Rousseau's career growth did not shine - his bosses and colleagues considered him a weak-mindedweirdo and a very strange person, perhaps because Rousseau hated his artwork - well, how can you take the last of the poor people, and give this money to wealthy bankers, Rousseau would love to do the opposite, but the new Robin Hood from him did not turn out.

Sleeping Gypsy

But soon he got an artwork in customs, and in his free time from the boring service found an outlet in art. He went to the Louvre, scrutinized the paintings of the old masters and tried to paint like them. It was not too good, but Rousseau was not discouraged. His confidence in his abilities can only be envied - at the age of 40, he presented several of his paintings at the Salon des Indépendants, which invariably attracted gawkers, critics and young artists.

Sleep

But instead of praise - the man was still trying - Rousseau was openly laughed at, but not by everyone. Those who saw a little farther than their own noses and standard ideas about art were delighted. Once an acquaintance brought one of the founders of Impressionism, Camille Pissarro, to Rousseau's paintings, promising to show "a funny ointment of a weirdo," but Pissarro froze in delight. And he was not the only one, though their admiration was drowned in a flood of criticism and ridicule.

Carnival evening

Even at the beginning of his service as a customs officer - later, implying Rousseau this word will be written with a capital letter, he married the daughter of the landlady from whom he rented an apartment, named Clemence. True, that marriage can hardly be called too happy - seven of their children died in infancy, left only a son Henri and daughter Julie. From tuberculosis died and Clemence herself, and Rousseau by that time, already retired, together with his son moved to the street artists Montparnasse.

The snake charmer

And then there was an acquaintance with the artist Robert Delaunay, who was the boss among the creative bohemians. He organized the famous evenings "at Rousseau's", where many young artists went to see the "old geezer", and tried to look as advantageous as possible against his background. True, Rousseau was not as simple as it seemed, could on occasion cleverly respond to his mockers, let it was Edgar Degas himself. Once at the Salon of the outcasts under the artwork of Degas was allocated the best place, and Rousseau's paintings modestly nestled in a corner. Degas knew about them and came up with the words: "I have seen your, with permission to say, painting, very original". To which Rousseau replied: "Yes, my artwork here, and you nowadays where you present your paintings?".

Beauty and the Beast

Time has put many things in their place, perhaps Rousseau's paintings were just a little ahead of their era, were too unconventional and innovative, and even then looked primarily at the technique. But technique can be learned, but talent and a fresh look at art is something different and often more valuable, which is why there are many artists-academics, and Rousseau - one.

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