Henri Rousseau (Laval), Known As The Customsman Because That Was His Job, Occupies An Important Place In Art History. Editorial Image

Henri Rousseau (Laval), known as the Customsman because that was his job, occupies an important place in art history. Devoid of any training, Rousseau knew that his vocation was art, so when at the age of forty-one he resigned from his position as a clerk at the Paris customs house, he was able to devote all his time to painting. His artistic inspirations came from the Paris Zoo and botanical gardens: here he meticulously copied exotic plants and birds, which he then depicted in his canvases, giving the impression that he had really been to these paradisiacal places.enri Rousseau (Laval, 1844-Paris, 1910), known as the Customsman because that was his job, occupies an important place in art history. Devoid of any training, Rousseau knew that his vocation was art, so when at the age of forty-one he resigned from his position as a clerk at the Paris customs house, he was able to devote all his time to painting. His artistic inspirations came from the Paris Zoo and botanical gardens: here he meticulously copied exotic plants and birds, which he then depicted in his canvases, giving the impression that he had really been to these paradisiacal places.