naive art

Fresh, childlike style of painting, employing bright colours and strong, rhythmic designs. It is usually the work of self-taught artists with no formal training, and is less technical in approach. Outstanding naive artists include Henri Rousseau and Camille Bombois (1883–1970) in France, and Alfred Wallis in England. The term is also used to describe the work of trained artists who employ naive techniques and effects, for example, L S Lowry.

Naive artists are also known as primitives, although primitive painting should not be confused with primitive art or Primitivism (the artworks of indigenous African, Oceanic, and American cultures, or Western folk art).