The Eiffel Tower 1898

Editor: Here we have Henri Rousseau's "The Eiffel Tower," painted in 1898. It's currently hanging here at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. There's something incredibly still and almost dreamy about it. It feels both very grand in scale with that imposing tower, but also very intimate with these tiny figures along the water. What stands out to you about it? Curator: You know, what strikes me most is the tension between naivete and sophistication. Rousseau, a self-taught artist, presents the modern marvel of the Eiffel Tower with a sort of childlike wonder. But look at the composition, the carefully balanced horizontal and vertical lines! It's almost unsettling in its perfect stillness, like a snow globe. It reminds me of old memories of childhood, the simple representation that comes from seeing the world anew. What do you make of the colours he’s chosen? Editor: They’re quite muted, aren’t they? Pinks and greys. Not quite what I’d expect from a cityscape, but they do add to that dreamy quality. There is an element of darkness and an element of happiness combined. It feels like a memory fading. Curator: Precisely! It is almost as though he's capturing not just a place, but a feeling, an atmosphere of Paris on the cusp of a new century, viewed through his own wonderfully peculiar lens. And do you notice the brush strokes? Almost naive, and unpolished, a reflection of pure innocence in a constantly evolving urbanity. I think of Rousseau walking along these banks, soaking in the city at the turn of the century…It does something to my spirit, truly. Editor: I think I get it! It's that sense of wonder clashing with the industrial age. He doesn't depict modern advances as sleek and cool, but filtered through his unique perspective, rendering them surreal and even sentimental. I find this art is one of the best expressions of emotional expression ever, very well displayed by Rousseau. Curator: Absolutely. He captures something deeper than just what meets the eye. And through that simple distillation, as viewers we have the opportunity to capture a pure human experience and make our own connections too!