Bouquet of Flowers 1910

Henri Rousseau made this painting of a bouquet of flowers with oil on canvas. The simple, flat application of the paint is mesmerizing. I imagine Rousseau carefully layering the colors, building up these striking flowers, one on top of another. What might Rousseau have been thinking as he painted? Was he trying to capture the essence of these flowers, their delicate balance of color and form? Each flower is a world of its own, rendered with charmingly obsessive detail, bursting from the plain white vase. The petals feel like soft velvet. The blue background feels like it has been scumbled to soften it. The flowers are carefully arranged and each one seems to have been painted with affection. Rousseau's painting reminds us that art is not just about representation, it's about feeling and imagination. Artists are always in conversation, aren’t they, and each work builds upon the last in surprising ways.