The French post-impressionist painter Henri Rousseau was an artist who worked in the Primitive and Nave styles. He was also known as Le Douanier, a playful description of his occupation as a toll collector. While working as a toll collector, Rousseau often painted street scenes with people walking or running on the street. In many of his paintings, he depicts the ordinary lives of the people he met.

Although Rousseau claimed to have no teacher, he was nevertheless influenced by his surroundings and by print advertisements. His naive and racy works were based on everyday life and he reworked them to create his own style. His art was considered primitive and naive at the time, and his work was regarded as naive and vulgar by some critics.

The official art world of Paris did not welcome Rousseau's art. However, he continued to exhibit his work in open, un-juried shows from 1886 until his death in 1885. Some established artists, such as Camille Pissarro and Paul Signac, admired his style and his emotional approach. His work, while not recognized by major galleries, remains popular today. If you're looking for an original painting of a classic French subject, there's no better choice than Henri Rousseau.