Meet Théodore Rousseau

Read About the Artist Théodore Rousseau

Théodore Rousseau (French, 1812–1867) loved nature since he was a child. He trained with academic landscape artists. However, he insisted on “keep[ing] in mind the virgin impression of nature” and on painting pure landscapes without having a mythological theme, as was common at the time. France’s academic art establishment was hostile to his ideas, which made him both famous and poor, because he could not sell his art. Nevertheless, he remained determined to paint pure landscapes directly from nature, and this influenced and led to the Impressionist movement.

The Paris Salon was the official art exhibition in Paris at the time. After exhibiting his art there in the early 1830s, he later received a rejection in 1836. Disappointed, he left Paris for the village of Barbizon in the Fontainebleau Forest, where he spent his summers. He was joined by Jean François Millet and other artists, who together became known as the Barbizon School.

Rousseau used muted tones and created rhythm through the use of dark and light areas in his compositions. His detailed drawings seem to demonstrate his assertion that he made portraits of the trees and listened to their voices. Though he disliked his academic training, he never ignored one of its basic ideas: he considered his outdoor paintings to be only sketches for the final paintings that he then created in his Paris studio each winter.

In 1841, when the Salon jury refused to exhibit one of his paintings that had been bought by the French government, Rousseau quit submitting his paintings to the Salon.

After the revolution of 1848, Rousseau’s fortunes improved. He gained an international reputation after receiving the first place medal at the 1849 Salon. Then in 1852, he gained highly prestigious membership in the National Order of the Legion of Honour.

Questions

Write or discuss your responses.

• Rousseau claimed he “made portraits of the trees and listened to their voices.” What does this statement suggest about his relationship with nature?
• Despite disliking his academic training, Rousseau still considered his outdoor paintings only “sketches” for studio work. How does working outdoors versus in a studio change the nature of the art?

A group of artists in 19th‑century France who worked in and around the village of Barbizon near the Forest of Fontainebleau. These artists often drew and painted outdoors (en plein air), focusing on real trees, fields, and everyday rural life rather than imaginary or dramatic scenes. Their careful study of nature helped inspire later art movements like Impressionism.

In late 19th-century France, some artists painted pictures that look like they were quickly sketched, using lots of small dots and strokes of color to create scenes that capture feelings and moments, like the way sunlight looks on water or the colors of a garden.