Henri Rousseau: A Pioneer of Naïve Vision Henri Julien Félix Rousseau, born in Laval, France, in 1844, was a figure whose life and art defied easy categorization. Initially destined for a career as a government employee, Rousseau’s path dramatically shifted when he abandoned his job at age forty-four to pursue the singular passion that would define him: painting. This decision, coupled with his self-taught approach and unique artistic vision, cemented his place as one of the most intriguing and influential artists of the late 19th century – a pioneer of what we now recognize as “naïve art” o…