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Thursday, November 03, 2005
Henri Rousseau - Jungles in Paris
TATE MODERN: 3 November 2005 - 5 February 2006
Tiger in a Tropical Storm
(Surprised!) 1891, The National Gallery, London
Henri Rousseau (1844–1910) created some of the most popular and memorable paintings of the modern era. This is the first exhibition of his work to be held in the UK for 80 years.
Rousseau is celebrated for his visionary jungle paintings which captivate the viewer with the lushness of their plant and animal life painted with incredible detail and precision. Extraordinarily the artist never saw the tropical scenes he brought so much to life, as he never left France. His exotic jungle paintings are the fantasies of a city dweller, constructed from visits to the zoo and botanical gardens, from postcards, books and from Rousseau’s vivid imagination. These jungles have intrigued people for decades, offering a dream of escape from humdrum reality to a savage and yet enchanting realm.