Conference on "Le Douanier-Rousseau (1844-1910): towards the recognition of a self-taught artist"

After being the subject of several exhibitions in recent years, notably at the Grand Palais and the Musée d’Orsay, the Musée de l’Orangerie has dedicated a brand-new exhibition to Henri Rousseau, known as Le Douanier Rousseau (1844–1910), since March 25, 2026, entitled “Henri Rousseau: The Ambition of Painting.” Organized in collaboration with the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, this monographic exhibition offers an opportunity to revisit his career, the diversity of pictorial genres he explored, and also to place his works within the context of the modern art market, focusing on one of the major dealers who championed his work: Paul Guillaume. Specifically, the main objective is to move beyond preconceived notions about this artist, easily categorized as naive, but whose practice, as well as his knowledge of art, was anything but childish.

To complement this exhibition, I propose to discuss the life and work of this unclassifiable, self-taught artist. Whether through his atypical career path or the diverse sources of inspiration that guided him, a veritable myth has grown up around Henri Rousseau. Following in his footsteps, many, such as Robert Delaunay and Pablo Picasso, as well as the Surrealist artists, were influenced by his dreamlike, "naive" vision: that of an inspired outsider. Jungles, urban landscapes, portraits, but also scenes of modern life—Henri Rousseau thus devoted himself to rendering, with his brush, sometimes tinged with spiritualism, a multitude of subjects, while demonstrating a certain knowledge of art history, both ancient and contemporary.

This lecture, lasting 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, can be held in person or via videoconference. Feel free to contact me with any questions, or to request a quote.