Henri Rousseau’s “The Dream”

The painting above, “The Dream” was created in 1910 by the French painter, Henri Rousseau. He was a post-impressionist painter in the Naïve or Primitive manner according to the Henri Rousseau official website. This is one of the 25 paintings of the jungle he created in his lifetime (even though he has never traveled outside of France). This work was inspired by his visits to the Paris zoo, museum of natural history, the botanical garden, and the way literature presented ideas of the jungle. This painting was completed in the same year that he passed away. The medium used was oil on canvas and the dimensions are 6’8 ½” by 9’ 9 ½”.
The two lions in the painting “The Dream” are slightly hidden behind all the plants and slowly creeping towards a white woman on the sofa. This painting takes place in the night and the moonlight creates a dim light in the jungle. The way they were painted are slightly realistic. One lion has a mane while the other does not. Also, Rousseau gave the two lions round eyes and a short fur all over their bodies. The male does not have a large noticeable mane which is interesting since most artists like to focus on that aspect of the male lion. Their facial expression does not seem aggressive. The lioness is looking towards the woman who is calling to her, meanwhile the male lion is looking straight the viewer of the painting which is interesting and catches your attention along with the way Rousseau painted the lions in general. The male lion has a more intense face compared to the lioness who looks more entranced with the strange woman on the couch. The lion that is moving towards the white woman came from behind another woman who is playing the flute; as if she is calling to other animals in the painting. The other woman is not afraid of the lions nor are the lions afraid of her.