Henri Rousseau was a well-known artist who gained fame for his surreal art pieces. He produced many remarkable masterpieces throughout his lifetime. Born in Laval, France in 1844, which is situated between Paris and Brittany. Although he worked as a toll collector for most of his life, he eventually followed his lifelong passion for painting and became one of the most renowned artists in history. Sadly, Rousseau passed away at the age of 66 due to blood poisoning.
From a young age, Henri Rousseau was passionate about art and music. He attended Laval Elementary School with the intention of pursuing his dream of becoming an artist. However, due to his father's bankruptcy, he was unable to continue his education in this field. As a result, the family had to relocate to Angers as they had lost all their possessions.
Despite abandoning his
...aspirations, Henri joined the army early in life and later returned to Paris after his father's passing. He married Clemence Boitard and had 5 children, but tragically only one daughter survived into adulthood as four succumbed to sickness. Eventually, Henri found a permanent position as a civil servant with the Paris toll service.
Stabenow states that during his free time, he would make mental observations, which he later attempted to paint. He was assigned to work in the tollhouse, which provided a stunning view and helped him initiate painting. He preferred to start painting from the top and loved to create portraits, landscapes, and town scenes, despite not finding them as his true passion.
Henri had a passion for painting forests. He drew inspiration from stones, photos, and other artwork to create numerous paintings, many o
which depicted tropical locations he had never visited. His impressive body of work was displayed at the "Salon des Independents," where fellow artists were in awe of his spontaneous creativity. One such admirer was Camille Pissarro. Despite his success, Henri had suffered a tragic loss when his wife Clemence Rousseau passed away from tuberculosis in 1888.
Even though he tried to deal with his spouse's demise by engaging in several romantic relationships, all of which were unsuccessful, he openly grieved her loss at any given chance. He sent his lone surviving daughter to Angers to shield her from the tuberculosis that claimed the lives of his wife and four other offspring. In 1893, he accomplished his lifelong aspiration by retiring from toll service and pursuing a career as an artist.
Henri immersed himself in the artistic world, competing with others. He aimed to paint what he observed and incorporate his knowledge of the subject matter into his work (Pioch). He strived to highlight even the minutest details and lacked expertise and formal training in perspective (Pioch). Henri aimed to encourage viewers to mentally reconstruct his landscapes methodically.
Shabenow noted that the way the colors were distributed in the paintings by this artist were unique and allowed for clear separation between objects. The objects were typically portrayed facing forward and had distinct outlines. Meanwhile, Pioch observed that the artist displayed a great passion for forests, which is evident in his depictions of jungle scenes that showcase his exceptional imagination. Additionally, Pioch mentioned that the artist tied the knot with Josephine-Rosalie Nourry, a widow, in 1899.
Henri and Josephine opened a stationery shop where they sold his paintings, while
Henri taught painting at an adult education center. Sadly, Josephine passed away from illness, and some years later, Henri was introduced to poet Guillaume Appolliniare. Appolliniare praised Henri as "Glorious painter of the Republic's spirit, The Proud Independents hail your name as their banner." (Appolliniare) He also introduced Henri to notable artists, including Pablo Picasso who admired Henri's work and stated, "There is nothing odd about Rousseau."
According to Picasso, he embodies a unique and unchanging logic. Rousseau's perceived naivete was often attributed to his lack of formal training, as stated by Shabenow. In celebration of Henri's talent, Picasso hosted a banquet where he finally felt acknowledged as an artist and received recognition for his work, according to Slater. Additionally, Henri expressed his wish that his parents had acknowledged his aptitude for painting.
. If things had gone differently, I could have become the most successful painter in France. Despite society eventually recognizing Henri, Rousseau faced punishment for bank fraud and forgery. He received a prison sentence and fine in January 1909. In light of these events, Henri chose to end his career by recommitting to grand realism.
Henri Rousseau, known for his well-known painting Carnival Evening 1886, died at the age of 66 due to blood poisoning. Despite being recorded as an alcoholic, his painting brought laughter to many viewers with its detailed depiction of a white moon, clouds against the deep indigo of night, black trees, a transparent pavilion in a woodland setting, and a couple in fancy dress straight out of a belle. Personally, I find this painting to be quite pleasing.
Henri Rousseau's The War (1894) is an intriguing piece of art that combines
hallucinatory scenes of violence and death with vibrant colors and deep symbolism. While the sky and the two clouds in the painting look incredibly realistic, they immediately draw the viewer's attention, diverting it from the less convincing parts of the image, namely the puppet theatre and the couple. Nevertheless, despite these occasional flaws, The War remains a true masterpiece in which Rousseau masterfully conveys his vision of a world ripe with meaning and color.
Unnatural hues were employed by the artist for both the sky and landscape. As a result, black took on matter form and gray trees appeared as apocalyptic lightning. Numerous crows and lifeless bodies were also depicted, effectively conveying the theme of war, which was further emphasized by the presence of blood and death. The colors chosen for the painting piqued my interest due to their sharp and alluring appearance.
The painting "The Dream" (1910) by Henri Rousseau impressed me with its use of black to portray death and red clouds to represent blood, creating an amazing visual effect. The painting is significant as it was one of the last paintings completed by Rousseau before his death and it features a mystical portrayal of the jungle with a glowing moon at night. The woman depicted in the painting is believed to be Rousseau's first wife who passed away due to tuberculosis, making the painting emotional and sentimental. Overall, the painting portrays a peaceful and wonderful jungle.
Initially, the painting elicited negative emotions in me because of the nudity of the woman portrayed. However, my perception changed when I discovered that it was Henri's homage to his wife and felt quite touched by it.
Consequently, I chose to express my impressions on the matter. One element of the artwork that stood out to me was how beautifully it depicted a verdant jungle with its trees.
Henri Rousseau's creativity in his art brought such life to his works, and he remains an inspiration to aspiring young artists. Despite not attending art school, his fame in the art world endures.
Art does not originate from education or school; rather, it emanates from your heart and creativity.
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