Le Douanier Rousseau
Or the Burgeoning of Modern Art
( Ou l'éclosion moderne )

Nicolas Autheman
2016 - 52 min - Video Full HD - Couleur - France

Henri Rousseau, referred to as "le Douanier", started to paint in Paris around 1880, at the age of 40. This self-taught artist was friendly with the poet Apollinaire, Robert Delaunay and Pablo Picasso, who recognised his genius, and yet his work was to remain under-rated during his lifetime.
However, with its dislocated compositions and profoundly dreamlike subject matter, it was to have a decisive influence on modern art, from surrealism to abstract art. This documentary film explores the secret inspiration and the little known influences of a painter whose canvasses are much less naïve than they appear to be.