The Happy Quartet 1902

"The Happy Quartet" (1902) by Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) depicts a scene of idyllic harmony in a lush forest setting. The figures, painted in Rousseau's distinctive naive style, include a man playing a flute, a woman adorned with flowers, a small child, and a dog. The artist's use of flat planes of color, simplified forms, and precise outlines create a sense of childlike wonder and joy, characteristic of his "primitive" aesthetic. Rousseau, a self-taught artist, embraced the beauty of the natural world in his work, often drawing inspiration from botanical gardens and his own imagination.