Naive Art. Nathalia Brodskaya

relatively contemporary.

      View on the Fortifications, from the Left of the Vanves Gate

      Henri Rousseau, 1909

      Oil on canvas, 31 × 41 cm

      The Hermitage, St Petersburg

      Their art may add to our understanding of the phenomenon of Naïve art or may change it altogether. For this reason alone it would simply not be feasible to come to an appreciation of Naïve art that was tightly-defined, complete and static.

      The Spell

      Henri Rousseau, 1909

      Oil on canvas, 45.5 × 37.5 cm

      Museum Charlotte Zander, Bönnigheim Castle

      In this study, therefore, we will contemplate only those outstanding – yet outstandingly diverse – examples of Naïve art that really do constitute pointers towards a genuine style, a genuine direction in pictorial representation, albeit one that is currently little known. Think of this book, if you like, as a preliminary sketch for a picture that will be completed by future generations.

      Romanian Painting

      It is difficult – perhaps even impossible – to quantify the influence of Henri Rousseau, Niko Pirosmani and Ivan Generalic on professional ‘modern’ artists and the artworks they produce. The reason is obvious: the three of them belonged to no one specific school and, indeed, worked to no specific system of art.

      A Negro Attacked by a Panther

      Henri Rousseau, ca. 1910

      Oil on canvas, 114 × 162 cm

      Museum of Arts, Basle

      It is for this reason that genuine scholars of Naïve art are somewhat thin on the ground. After all, it is hard to find any basic element, any consistent factor that unites their art and enables it to be studied as a discrete phenomenon. The problems begin even in finding a proper name for this kind of art.

      Notre-Dame-de-Paris

      André Duranton

      No single term is descriptive enough. It is all very well consulting dictionaries – they are not much use in this situation. A dictionary definition of a ‘primitive’ in relation to art, for example, might be ‘An artist or sculptor of the period before the Renaissance’.

      Horse Attacked by a Jaguar

      Henri Rousseau, 1910

      Oil on canvas, 89 × 116 cm

      Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow