A View of the Ile Saint Louis from Port Saint Nicolas Evening 1888

Henri Rousseau painted this view of the Ile Saint Louis in Paris using oils on canvas. Rousseau, a self-taught artist, worked as a toll collector, and his paintings have a distinctive, naive quality. His technique involved building up layers of paint, creating a smooth, almost enamel-like surface. This gives the scene its distinctive stillness. He used a limited range of colors, mostly blues, greens, and browns, applied evenly across the canvas with minimal blending. The composition is carefully structured, with the bridge and buildings arranged in a deliberate, almost geometric pattern. The subtle gradations in tone create a sense of depth and atmosphere. Rousseau’s style defies the conventional art of his time, challenging the hierarchy between academic painting and the work of self-taught artists. By focusing on Rousseau’s unconventional painting methods, we can appreciate his unique perspective on the world, one that values simplicity, clarity, and directness of vision.