The term "Naive Art" is used to classify the works of self-taught artists. "Naive" is used in the sense of carefree, unreflective and simple. "Naive" works are also because they often depict an ideal dream or fantasy world. At the beginning of the 20th century, the gallery owner Wilhelm Uhde endeavoured to make the works of Henri Rousseau, Louis Vivin, Camille Bombois, André Bauchant and Séraphine de Senlis known to the public. Uhde is also thought to have coined the term "Naive Art".

"The publican" Rousseau devoted himself full-time to painting late in life and developed his own distinctive style. His jungle paintings are best known. Louis Vivin was initially a postal clerk before he gained recognition, especially for his city portraits of Paris. Camille Bombois worked as a fairground wrestler, among other things, before becoming known for his romantic depictions of everyday village life. André Bauchant worked for a long time as a gardener and did flower and landscape paintings on the side. Uhde also discovered the exceptional talent of Séraphine de Senlis and tried to nurture it.

He first exhibited the works of these artists together in Paris in 1928 under the title "Painters of the Sacred Heart". At the end of the 1930s Uhde organised a travelling exhibition, during which the painters' works were shown in Paris, Zurich, London and New York.