The Dream (Henri Rousseau, Primitivism)

The Dream

Created in the same year as his death, The Dream was Rousseau's last painting, which was debuted only a few months before his untimely death. Upon its debut, Guillaume Apollinaire, referencing the negative reviews of previous years, exclaimed that this year, there would be no ridicule, as the painting exuded sheer beauty. With this piece, Rousseau brought together the exotic and the ordinary, the jungle and the couch, and combined the two to form a juxtaposition of composition which engages and intrigues. It is perhaps fitting that this was his last painting before his death, as it was his masterpiece.

Back to the Artist Henri Rousseau

Rousseau's Other Works

The Sleeping Gypsy

Carnival Evening

The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope

Boy on the Rocks