The Sleeping Gypsy

Henry Rousseau

• “Rousseau, a toll collector for the city of Paris, was largely a self-taught painter, although he had ambitions of entering the Academy. This was never realized, but the sharp colors, fantastic imagery, and precise outlines in his work—derived from the style and subject matter of popular print culture—struck a chord with a younger generation of avant-garde painters. Rousseau described the subject of The Sleeping Gypsy thus: ‘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. There is a moonlight effect, very poetic.'”

3.

• a.  Noticeably textured, the Lion seems to have almost an soulful yet mystical appearance, his tail extended as if it were a radio antennae guiding the Lion from security from the back. The Lion is definitely more stylized as it does seem to have a dotted or a pixel-y texture, with its color being extremely delicate in regards to the lighting in the painting.
• b. The Lion’s tail, mane, and surrounding body-glow all seriously stand out to my eye. His mane so luscious and furry, his head bowing down to the ground in a very humble but bold way.
• c. The Lion’s body is very much related to the color scheme surrounding the artwork, however no one can miss the Lion as its presence next to the Gypsy is very bold and strong. The landscape shows a nightly desert along with mountains and very milky moon, giving us a very powerful sense of being in the painting.
• d. To me, the Lion has a very comfortable presence with me. I love animals and nature, and for such a beautiful creature to be portrayed as peacefully walking next to a human is a wonderful sight. It allows the opportunity to give much thought to our relationship with Nature, today.