Henri Emilien Rousseau French, 1875-1933

Overview

French Orientalist painter

Born in Cairo in 1875 to a Franco-Egyptian family, Henri Émilien Rousseau studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Jean-Léon Gérôme. He won the second Prix de Rome in 1900 and received a travel grant that took him across Europe and North Africa.

Influenced by his travels to Algeria, Tunisia, and notably Morocco in the 1920s, he devoted himself to depicting Arabian horses, riders, caïds, falconry scenes, caravans, and village life with a realistic and dynamic style.

Settling in Aix-en-Provence from 1919, he became a prominent figure in French Orientalism. A Knight of the Legion of Honor, he exhibited regularly and produced many plein air paintings and charcoal sketches. Rousseau died in Aix in 1933, leaving a legacy celebrated for its sensitivity to Mediterranean light and authenticity of vision.

Works