The painting I picked was “The Sleeping Gypsy” by Henri Rousseau. Henry Rousseau is most celebrated as being one of the best naive artists. He was given the nickname la Dounaier, which came from a job he held from 1871 to 1893, where he worked with the Paris Customs Office. Prior to this career, he served in the army. During this time, painting was something that he did as a hobby, and in 1893, he accepted early retirement, which allowed him to focus on painting full time. This in turn allowed him to better his from, and create a name for himself in the world of art.

Henri describes the painting as   “A wandering Negress, a mandolin player, lies with her jar beside her (a vase with drinking water), overcome by fatigue in a deep sleep. A lion chances to pass by, picks up her scent yet does not devour her”. This work reflects modernism because of the flattened shapes and perspectives, the freedom of color and style, the subordination of realistic description to imagination and invention.

What drew me to this piece was the calm lion under the moon which is the brightest part on the painting. The women in the picture is a traveler therefore she doesn’t know anyone or have any friends and family which means she is lonely. The way I interpret the painting is that the lion represent all the dangers that can come your way as a result of being lonely. The water base represents health and the instrument represent material happiness but none of that means anything if you’re alone. To me the sent the lion picks up is loneliness and unhappiness.

I have many questions about this painting like why did he choose a lion to be in a dessert setting. Why did he only include 6 stars and do they had a significance. Where did he get inspired to do this painting?

Work cited

“Museum of Modern Art | MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2016.

“http://www.henrirousseau.net/”Henri Rousseau, and his paintings. Web. 03 May 2016.