Scout Attacked by a Tiger

Rousseau's nickname 'Douanier' refers to the job he held with the Paris Customs Office (1871-93), although he never actually rose to the rank of the Customs Officer. Before this he had served in the army, and he later claimed to have done service in Mexico, but this story seems to be a product of his imagination. He took up painting as a hobby and accepted early retirement in 1893 so he could devote himself to art. His character was extraordinarily ingenuous and he suffered much ridicule (although he sometimes interpreted sarcastic remarks literally and took them as praise) as well as enduring great poverty. However, his faith in his own abilities never wavered. He tried to paint in the academic manner of such traditionalist artists as Bouguereau and Gérôme, but it was the innocence and charm of his work that won him the admiration of the avant-garde: in 1908 Picasso gave a banquet, half serious, half burlesque, in his honor. Rousseau is now best known for his jungle scenes.