Cliffs 1897

Henri Rousseau, a self-taught artist, painted Cliffs with oil on canvas, we don't know exactly when. Rousseau, often referred to as a ‘naïve’ or ‘primitive’ painter, worked outside the traditional art academy system, which allowed him to develop his unique style, separate from the dominant artistic trends of his time. "Cliffs" offers a glimpse into how landscapes were being reimagined at the turn of the 20th century. The figures in the boat, rendered with a simplicity bordering on the surreal, suggest a narrative—perhaps of labor, leisure, or the everyday lives of coastal communities. What do these cliffs represent? Safety? Danger? Rousseau's work invites us to reflect on the relationship between humanity and nature, and the way individual experiences can be translated into compelling visual stories.