Born in France during the German bombardment of Paris in 1871, Georges Rouault was the son of a cabinet maker. At fourteen, he followed his craftsman roots and become an apprentice in stained glass, attending evening classes at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs to improve his abilities. By 1890, at the age of 19, he decided to become an artist and devote his life to painting. He then enrolled in the Ecole des Beaux Arts, where he was a student of Gustave Moreau. After several years of study, Moreau advised Rouault to leave school and venture out on his own.

He took as his subject matter the wretched world of those living on the outskirts of society - prostitutes, beggars and clowns, whose plight touched his conscience.
His work was shown in the Paris Salons of 1903 and 1905 and stood apart from the surrounding paintings with his unique style and subject. He soon gained recognition for not only his paintings but for the engravings and lithographs he created.

When the Parisian art dealer Vollard saw his engraving exhibits of 1910-11 he bought up the entire series and became his exclusive art dealer. However, although he was highly recognized, sales and commissions were not at the level of his contemporaries and he did not discover success until later in life, which left him bitter and frustrated.
“They have cared little for me and now that I’m half dead they have tried to come and fetch me.”

Rouault was considered one of the original Fauves and of all the twentieth-century painters, Matisse was his closest friend. He, like Matisse, lived the end of his days in ill health and quite isolated, saving whatever energy he had left to pour out on his canvases.