There are two possible ways of defining when naive art originated. One is to reckon that it happened when naive art was first accepted as an artistic mode of status equal with every other artistic mode. That would date its birth to the first years of the twentieth century. The other is to apprehend nafve art as no more or less than that, and to look back into human prehistory and to a time when all art was of a type that might now be considered naive- tens of thousands of years ago， when the first rock drawings were etched and when the first cave-pictures of bears and other animals were scratched out. If we accept this second definition, we are inevitably confronted with the very intriguing question，So who was that first naive artist?

“Le Douanier” Rousseau and Pirosmani are the two great figures most identified with Naive Art. Yet， many other artists -some with outstanding talent-took up and developed this new artistic movement.This book brings together some of the best of those artists， and features the revelation that is Romanian naive painting.

Its author, Natalia Brodskaia, describes the origins of Naive Art and puts into perspective this creative form of artistic expression that has its own special place in the history of pictorial representation.

Foreword

Reflections on Naive Art

1 Modern Art in Quest of New Material

2 Discovery-the Banquet in Rousseau’s Honour

3 Modern Fascination with “Primitive” Artists: Joan Miro

4 From Medieval to Naive Artists: A Similar Approach?

5 From Popular Tradition to Photography

6 Chain of Discoveries: from The West to The East

7 Naive Painting in Romania

8 Is Naive Art Really Naive?

Notes and Bibliography

Picture List

A list of paintings alphabetically by painters