He never saw a jungle, because he never left his native country of France. But he brought jungles and dreams to Paris in his art. Henri Roussea’s depictions of beasts in the wild derived from what he saw at the Paris zoo, in the Museum of Natural Science, taxidermy exhibits and books of travel photographs.
Critics derided him for painting like a child. He didn’t listen to them. He had the steadfastness of the artist who goes his own way with a shrug (though he was happy to rub elbows with his fellow painters.)
His ‘naive’ pictures inspired a group of modernist painters led by Henri Matisse to call themselves the Fauves.Rousseau’s canvases remain some of the most stunning of the Post Impressionist era. They were never seen as that, nor deemed beautiful in his lifetime. They drew neither praise nor serious attention — only smiles.
A version of this post with more videos appeared in November 2012 in the ePainting Instruction blog.
Registration is underway herefor the March 7-8 2015 event that will feature, in addition to Bethany and Chris, Chronicle Books children’s division art director Kristine Brogno, Beach Lane Books Publishing senior editor Aubrey Poole, literary agents Jill Grinberg and Victoria Wells Arms and authors and author-llustrators Don Tate, Chris Barton, C.S. Jennings and Emma Virjan. Give yourself the gift of Awesome by partying with us down in Austin!
Award-winning children's book author-illustrator Mark G. Mitchell teaches classes in watercolor and children's book illustration at The Contemporary Art School in Austin, Texas.
