Henri Rousseau was a French post-impressionist painter, also known as Le Douanier (the customs officer). He started painting seriously in his early forties; by age 49, he retired from his job to work on his art full-time. Rousseau is now best known for his jungle scenes, the first of which is Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!). His best-known paintings depict jungle scenes, even though he never left France or saw a jungle. His inspiration came from illustrations in children’s books and the botanical gardens in Paris, as well as tableaux of taxidermy wild animals.
Tiger in a Tropical Storm was the first of the jungle paintings for which the artist is chiefly known. It shows a tiger, illuminated by a flash of lightning, preparing to pounce on its prey in the midst of a raging gale. Rousseau’s jungle paintings were built up meticulously in layers, using a large number of green shades to capture the lush exuberance of the jungle. He also devised his own method for depicting the lashing rain by trailing strands of silver paint diagonally across the canvas.
The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope was the second jungle painting to mark Rousseau’s return to this genre after a 10-year hiatus caused by the generally negative reception to his painting Tiger in a Tropical Storm. This painting features a jungle scene of thick green foliage lit by a deep red setting sun, including many animals.
More of his paintings:
Fight Between a Tiger and a Buffalo (1908) - Henri Rousseau
Exotic Landscape (1908) - Henri Rousseau
The Equatorial Jungle (1909) - Henri Rousseau
- What do you think about Henri Rousseau and his art style?
- How do you like his art?
But his art is really good!