Henri Rousseau: jungles in Paris

Abstract

A cult figure in his own lifetime, Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) produced some of the most original and recognizable artworks of the modern era. This sumptuously illustrated book provides not only a comprehensive overview of his career, but also a penetrating insight into the sources that inspired his work. Henri Rousseau was a self-taught artist with a unique style, famous most of all for his visionary jungle scenes. These dream-like tableaux, for which he drew heavily on visits to the Botanical Gardens in Paris, captivate with the lushness of their plant and animal life, while at the same time unsettling the viewer with their rich combination of exoticism and romanticism. His extraordinary visual perception was nurtured by everything that he encountered, from postcards and early cinema to everyday experiences in the streets and parks of Paris, while his unique vision and talent was feted by Picasso and the early modernists in Paris, who recognised his role in opening up new realms of artistic possibilities. With large, full-colour reproductions of his paintings and many previously unpublished reproductions of his sources and influences, combined with a wealth of new research on his life and work, this is the definitive volume on this remarkable artist.