Le Douanier Rousseau : L'innocence archaïque

Through his exotic and colourful naïf paintings, Henri Rousseau (nicknamed ‘Le Douanier’ as a jokey description of his job as toll collector) takes viewers on a beguiling journey off into far-flung worlds. Rousseau’s style – which was quite bold for his time – has led to the artist being revered in some avant-garde circles as the ‘father of modernity’, while others remain doubtful of this status. By setting his works against others from Seurat, Delaunay, Kandinsky and Picasso, this exhibit aims to cast a critical light on his art.

TRANSLATION: HUW OLIVER