Henri Rousseau. At his early exhibitions, critics mocked him openly, audiences came to laugh, as if at a circus

Henri Rousseau.
At his early exhibitions, critics mocked him openly, audiences came to laugh, as if at a circus

Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets opened on October 19 at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia — a show dedicated to one of the most poetic and, at the same time, most tragic figures in the history of modernism.

The main drama of Rousseau’s life was the gap between his world and reality.

He never studied at an academy, had no formal art education, and began painting only after turning forty, while working as a customs officer in Paris — hence his nickname Le Douanier (“The Customs Officer”).

His naïve manner seemed amateurish and even comical to the public.

At his early exhibitions, critics mocked him openly, and audiences came to laugh, as if at a circus.

Rousseau lived most of his life in poverty and uncertainty — eating modestly, renting cheap apartments, often in debt. His paintings sold poorly; he often carried them to exhibitions himself or sold them for next to nothing.

His “jungles” were not real landscapes but imagined myths, born from books, botanical gardens, and dreams. He was often called “childlike,” yet his paintings are filled with symbolism, eroticism, and unease.
The world on his canvases is idealized, almost utopian — where nature is alive, mystical, and protective. It was his escape from poverty, loneliness, and rejection.

Rousseau died in 1910 in a hospital for the poor, almost forgotten. Only later was he recognized as a precursor of surrealism.

Gradually, avant-garde artists — Picasso, Apollinaire, Delaunay — began to see in his simplicity a kind of genius sincerity and inner poetry.

Only after his death did it become clear how revolutionary he was — his art influenced Picasso, Matisse, the surrealists, and the primitivism of the 20th century.

Today, his paintings feel strikingly modern — their purity, flat color, and graphic precision echo the language of contemporary design and visual culture. Rousseau’s world, once mocked for its naïveté, now looks timeless, stylish, and deeply relevant.

Picasso once said:

“We all had to come back to Rousseau — to that purity and strength that cannot be learned.”

Location: Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia

The Barnes owns the largest collection of Rousseau’s works in the world — 18 paintings in its permanent collection. The exhibition combines these with major loans from other museums, including the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris.

One of its goals is to show how Rousseau “played with his audience,” adapting his narratives and symbols to the viewer.

Curated by Christopher Green and Nancy Ireson.

On view October 19, 2025 – February 22, 2026.

As part of the program, the Rousseau Film Series will take place on Saturdays, November 8, December 13, and January 10.

Curated by Maori Karmael Holmes, founder of the BlackStar Film Festival, the series reflects on the themes explored in Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets.

Tickets available on the Barnes website; free admission for Barnes members.

See the program on the museum's Website