Henri Rousseau : A Painter's Secrets

Two of the greatest collections of Rousseau’s work come together in a new exhibition that offers fresh insights into the painter’s art and life
 
The Barnes Foundation is home to the world’s largest collection of works by the self-taught artist Henri Rousseau (1844–1910). Many of them were bought by Dr. Albert C. Barnes from the Paris art dealer Paul Guillaume, also an avid collector of Rousseau’s works. This publication offers a comprehensive study of the eighteen works at the Barnes and places them in dialogue with works from around the globe, including those from Guillaume’s collection (now housed at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris). This unprecedented overview of the artist’s work reunites paintings that have been apart for more than one hundred years, marking the first time that works from the Foundation’s galleries will form part of an exhibition devoted to Rousseau.  
 
Working closely with Barnes Foundation conservation staff, Christopher Green and Nancy Ireson consider Rousseau’s novel artistic practice and explore his process of adapting works to new purposes. They also examine how Rousseau navigated the art world, driven by the need to market his works in the hope of furthering his career. Richly illustrated with Rousseau’s idiosyncratic jungle scenes, landscapes, portraits, and still lifes, this volume presents new findings and includes essays that discuss the market for the artist in the 1920s and the veiled eroticism of the painter’s jungle scenes.
 
Distributed for the Barnes Foundation
 
Exhibition Schedule:
 
Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia
(October 19, 2025–February 22, 2026)
 
Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris
(March 24–July 20, 2026)

Christopher Green is professor emeritus at the Courtauld Institute of Art, London. Nancy Ireson is deputy director for collections and exhibitions and Gund Family Chief Curator at the Barnes Foundation.