Born into a family of tradespeople in a small city in France, Henri Rousseau became a customs and excise officer in the customs house in Paris in 1871, a job that earned him the nickname `the customs officer`. Rousseau was an enthusiastic self-taught artist. Nourished by themes in the popular imagination, Rousseau`s painting expresses a vision of reality, populated by iconic figures outlined with hieratic force against flat blocks of saturated color and fantastic spaces - a vision long branded as naive, ingenuous and uncultivated. This book demonstrates how fully Rousseau il Douanier`s masterpieces are part of this archaic trend, and of the world of art in general, from his dream-like exotic landscapes to his still-lifes. They are shown alongside works signed by the likes of Picasso, Gaugain, Frida Kahlo, and Carlo Carrà.

Contents: Reasons for an exhibition. Henri Rousseau and archaism; Is there an archaic trend in the history of art before Rousseau?; The eclectic sources of the customs officer`s painting: the world of Henri Rousseau; Henri Rousseau and the collection of the art dealer Paul Guillaume; Henri Rousseau and his influence on the Parisian avant-garde circle; Henri Rousseau and Italian art; Henri Rousseau and the Blue Rider; Illustrated chronology of the life and work of Henri Rousseau, edited by Yann Le Pichon and Anthology of Henri Rousseau`s writings, edited by Annabelle Mathias.

Published to accompany an exhibition at Palazzo Ducale,Venice.