Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) was born in Laval, France to a family of tinsmiths. His family was quite poor and had their home seized to pay off acquired debts. It wasn't until his forties that he started painting with any bit of seriousness and then nine years later choosing to concentrate on it entirely. He admitted to receiving some advice from painters Clement and Gerome but claimed to have no other teacher save talent. Because he was self-taught he is considered a naive or primitive painter. During the time he worked people often criticized his work and called it childish. It took some time for him to garner praise at his regular exhibitions. He is most known for depicting jungle scenes of which his most famous is "Tiger in a Tropical Storm. (Surprised!)." Picasso came across his work in the street where one of his paintings was being sold for the canvas to be painted over. Picasso saw the skills in Rousseau's work then and later held a banquet in the artist's honor. It is said that he never actually been to a jungle though much of his work depicts such scenes. Most schools of thought believe his inspiration came from botanical gardens he visited as well as stuffed animals that he saw on display. The animated film, "Madagascar" states this artist as a source of inspiration for the graphics and work of the film. His work is said to have influenced Picasso, Beckmann, Leger, and Hugo among other surrealists.
