River and Park Landscape 1885 - 1890

This landscape scene was created by Henri Rousseau using pen, ink, and graphite on paper. Rousseau, who spent his life as a self-taught artist, was working in a period of significant industrial and urban development in France. Consider how Rousseau’s choice to depict a serene park scene departs from typical artistic conventions. The end of the 19th century was a period of increasing industrialization and urbanization and many artists chose to reflect these changes in their art. Rousseau, however, consistently returned to landscapes, often drawing inspiration from the botanical gardens of Paris, as he once noted: “When I am in these glass houses I feel as though I am entering into a dream.” This focus on the natural world can be seen as a response to the anxieties of modernity. His landscapes offer a space of tranquility, inviting viewers to reflect on the relationship between humanity and nature. The emotional depth of Rousseau’s works resides in this tension between an idealized world and the realities of a rapidly changing society.