Naïve art
Naïve art is visual art made by people who lack, or choose not to use, formal training in anatomy, perspective and the conventions of the academies. Self-taught painters know that artistic conventions exist but apply them instinctively rather than correctly, and the results are recognized at once by their flat rendering, bright colour and disarming directness. The category crystallized around 1900, when Henri Rousseau - a customs officer who took up painting in his forties - was discovered by Picasso and the avant-garde; Niko Pirosmani in Georgia, Séraphine Louis in Senlis and later Grandma Moses in the United States showed the type recurring. Unlike folk art, naïve art need not grow out of a popular cultural tradition, and unlike art brut it stays loosely in touch with the art world. Trained painters have often imitated the look, producing what is called faux naïve.
Defining characteristics
- Flat, shallow space with rudimentary or instinctive perspective
- Bright, saturated colour applied in clear, flat passages
- Meticulous detail — foliage, fabric and ornament rendered piece by piece
- Simplified, intuitive proportions unconcerned with academic anatomy
- Direct, frontal compositions with a still, storybook clarity
- Unaffected, charming mood: everyday life, festivals or dream scenes given equal intensity
Key figures
- Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) — Self-taught customs officer whose jungle paintings became the touchstone of naïve art
- Niko Pirosmani (1862-1918) — Georgian painter whose rustic everyday scenes became national icons
- Séraphine Louis (1864-1942) — Self-taught painter whose work drew on religious faith and the glow of stained glass
- Grandma Moses (1860-1961) — American painter of rural life who began at 78 and became the category's most famous figure
- Camille Bombois (1883-1970) — French naïve painter especially noted for circus and fairground scenes
Example works
- The Sleeping Gypsy — Henri Rousseau (1897)
- The Dream — Henri Rousseau (1910)
- Sugaring Off — Grandma Moses (1943)
Sources
- Naïve art - Wikipedia encyclopedia