Folk and Naive Paintings

Self-taught painters with flat color, bold pattern and an honesty trained artists envy.

1780s–1930s. 40 paintings here, dated 1795 to 1910, with works by Henri Rousseau, Edward Hicks, Thomas Chambers and Joshua Johnson. They suit the kids' room, living room and apartment or dorm most often.

40 paintings

The Repast of the Lion, Henri Rousseau, ca. 1907, oil on canvas

Henri Rousseau The Repast of the Lion, ca. 1907 The Met

Portrait of a light-skinned woman with dark curly hair and to her right a small, blond child. Both are elegantly dressed, the woman in a dark, short-sleeved dress with gathered bodice and the child in a short-sleeved white dress.

Joshua Johnson Elizabeth Grant Bankson Beatty (Mrs. James Beatty) and Her Daughter Susan, c. 1805 Art Institute of Chicago

Portrait of man, black coat, white collar, hand in book.

Ammi Phillips Cornelius Allerton, 1821–22 Art Institute of Chicago

Mrs. Mayer and Daughter, Ammi Phillips, 1835–40, oil on canvas

Ammi Phillips Mrs. Mayer and Daughter, 1835–40 The Met

Emma Van Name, Joshua Johnson, ca. 1805, oil on canvasPainting

Joshua Johnson Emma Van Name, ca. 1805 The Met

Sawmill, Outskirts of Paris, Henri Rousseau, c. 1893/95, oil on canvas

Henri Rousseau Sawmill, Outskirts of Paris, c. 1893/95 Art Institute of Chicago

Outskirts of Paris, Henri Rousseau, c. 1897–1905, oil on fabric

Henri Rousseau Outskirts of Paris, c. 1897–1905 Cleveland Museum of Art

The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre, Henri Rousseau, ca. 1908–09, oil on canvas

Henri Rousseau The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre, ca. 1908–09 The Met

Five monkeys rest and play amid a lush jungle landscape in this horizontal landscape painting. Painted with areas of flat color, thick vegetation fills most of the scene, with giant leaves overlapping in shades of green.

Henri Rousseau Tropical Forest with Monkeys, 1910 National Gallery of Art

A pale-skinned boy with round, almost doll-like proportions sits on pointed rocks in front of a pale blue sky in this slightly stylized, vertical painting. The boy’s body and face are square to us.

Henri Rousseau Boy on the Rocks, 1895/1897 National Gallery of Art

Beyond a dense screen of stylized, dark brown tree trunks, bending branches, and sage and moss-green leaves, a man and woman ride side-by-side on horseback and embrace in this vertical landscape painting. Both people have pale skin.

Henri Rousseau Rendezvous in the Forest, 1889 National Gallery of Art

Two animals with golden yellow, brown, and black fur peer out from behind dense jungle foliage in this stylized, vertical painting.

Henri Rousseau The Equatorial Jungle, 1909 National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a pastoral setting with a large white-and-gray house on a hill to the left. Distant people stand in front of the house, along with a horse-drawn wagon.

Edward Hicks The Grave of William Penn, c. 1847/1848 National Gallery of Art

A pale-skinned child wearing a short-sleeved red dress and a white bonnet stands before a shadowy green forest under dark clouds in this vertical portrait painting. The child’s over-large head is out of scale with the rest of her body.

Edward Hicks Portrait of a Child, c. 1840 National Gallery of Art

Three small children with pale pink skin sit and stand among a group of animals to our right as a group of eight indigenous people with light brown skin gather with eight white-skinned men near a riverbank in the distance to our left in…

Edward Hicks Peaceable Kingdom, c. 1834 National Gallery of Art

The Falls of Niagara, Edward Hicks, ca. 1825, oil on canvas

Edward Hicks The Falls of Niagara, ca. 1825 The Met

Cows, horses, sheep, and pigs stand closely together in a band across the bottom edge of this horizontal painting. Rolling hills open onto grassy lawns, farms, and fields beyond.

Edward Hicks The Cornell Farm, 1848 National Gallery of Art

Eight pale-skinned men and thirteen brown-skinned, indigenous Lenape men, women, and a baby gather on a grassy field close to us in this horizontal painting. The white men are cleanshaven and have puffy gray, shoulder-length hair.

Edward Hicks Penn's Treaty with the Indians, c. 1840/1844 National Gallery of Art

Fight Between a Tiger and a Buffalo, Henri Rousseau, 1908, oil on fabric

Henri Rousseau Fight Between a Tiger and a Buffalo, 1908 Cleveland Museum of Art

The image shows a woman's upper body. She is looking directly at the viewer with a calm expression. The woman has fair skin, dark brown hair styled away from her face, blue eyes, and delicate features.

William Jennys Mrs. Asa Benjamin, 1795 National Gallery of Art

The image shows a large blue and grey bowl filled with various fruits, including grapes, peaches, and a pineapple. The color palette consists of blues, greens, yellows, oranges, and browns.

William Stearns Bowl of Fruit, c. 1830/1840 National Gallery of Art

The image is a portrait of a young child shown from the waist up. The child is seated and facing forward. The child has dark hair that is styled smoothly and parted down the middle.

Sturtevant J. Hamblin Little Girl with Pet Rabbit, c. 1845 National Gallery of Art

The Trotter, Charles S. Humphreys, c. 1860, oil on canvas

Charles S. Humphreys The Trotter, c. 1860 National Gallery of Art

View of Benjamin Reber's Farm, Charles C. Hofmann, 1872, oil on canvas

Charles C. Hofmann View of Benjamin Reber's Farm, 1872 National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a maritime scene from the water, with a coastline in the distance marked by small, colorful buildings and distant green hills.

A. Hashagen Ship "Arkansas" Leaving Havana, 1847 National Gallery of Art

The image features a variety of fruit, including large white melons, a sliced red watermelon, and clusters of dark and white grapes with an assortment of green leaves.

Chipman Melons and Grapes, mid 19th century National Gallery of Art

U.S. Mail Boat, Leila T. Bauman, 1855 or later, oil on canvas

Leila T. Bauman U.S. Mail Boat, 1855 or later National Gallery of Art

This painting displays an elevated view of a bustling port town. In the center, a tall tree with dense green foliage stands out against a light blue sky with fluffy white clouds.

Jurgan Frederick Huge Composite Harbor Scene with Castle, c. 1875 National Gallery of Art

Bay of New York, Sunset, Thomas Chambers, mid 19th century, oil on canvas

Thomas Chambers Bay of New York, Sunset, mid 19th century National Gallery of Art

This painting depicts a coastal scene with a perspective from the water. There are dark, billowing gray clouds above the horizon, and the sky is pale orange.

Thomas Chambers Threatening Sky, Bay of New York, mid 19th century National Gallery of Art

Ship in Full Sail, T. Davies, 1827, oil on canvas

T. Davies Ship in Full Sail, 1827 National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a bowl of red raspberries resting on a surface. The bowl is pale blue with blue details on the rim, and it is surrounded by a pile of pale peaches and pears, red plums, and green and purple grapes.

Charles V. Bond Still Life: Fruit, Bird, and Dwarf Pear Tree, 1856 National Gallery of Art

This painting depicts a large bull standing in a grassy plain. The bull is seen from the side, facing the right. Its head is a rich brown color, while its body and legs are swirled with patches of white and brown.

H. Call Prize Bull, 1876 National Gallery of Art

Boston Harbor, Thomas Chambers, mid 19th century, oil on canvas

Thomas Chambers Boston Harbor, mid 19th century National Gallery of Art

Packet Ship Passing Castle Williams, New York Harbor, Thomas Chambers, mid 19th century, oil on canvas

Thomas Chambers Packet Ship Passing Castle Williams, New York Harbor, mid 19th century National Gallery of Art

The image displays a child standing and facing forward. The child has a round face with rosy cheeks, wide blue eyes, and a small closed mouth. The child's hair is light and short.

Abram Ross Stanley Joshua Lamb, 1842 National Gallery of Art

The image shows a full-body portrait of a young child standing indoors. The child faces forward with a neutral expression, looking directly at the viewer. They have neatly styled brown hair parted in the middle.

Joseph Goodhue Chandler Girl with Kitten, c. 1836/1838 National Gallery of Art

The Peaceable Kingdom, Edward Hicks, c. 1816–18, oil on canvas

Edward Hicks The Peaceable Kingdom, c. 1816–18 Cleveland Museum of Art

Peaceable Kingdom, Edward Hicks, ca. 1830–32, oil on canvas

Edward Hicks Peaceable Kingdom, ca. 1830–32 The Met

The painting features a scene showing men in a boat landing on a shore. The horizon is low, with larger sailing ships seen in the distance on the right, floating on the dark green water.

Edward Hicks The Landing of Columbus, c. 1837 National Gallery of Art

Rooms these paintings suit