Y6 Henry Rosseau Rainforests

Did you know that Henri Julien Félix Rousseau was a French post-impressionist painter? He was also known as Le Douanier (the customs officer), a humorous description of his occupation as a toll and tax collector. He started painting seriously in his early forties; by age 49, he retired from his job to work on his art full-time.

With the help of Mrs Caccavale, our pupils have been exploring the work of this amazing artist and creating their own pictures.

When  found out that he had never visited these places I was amazed. The colours were so bright and the drawings so detailed that I thought he must have seen it for himself.
Jude - Year 6

Jungle Pictures

Rousseau claimed he had "no teacher other than nature", and essentially, he was self-taught. We did teach ourselves a bit, but we had a lot of support from Mrs Caccavale
Jake - Year 6

While his best-known paintings depict jungle scenes, it is thought that he never left France or saw a jungle!

Stories spread by admirers that his army service included the French expeditionary force to Mexico are unfounded. His inspiration came from illustrations in children's books and the botanical gardens in Paris, as well as tableaux of taxidermy wild animals.