Background

This painting was made by a French artist Henri Rousseau. He paints in a post-impressionist style which emphasizes the use of vivid colors and thick layers of paint. He started painting in his early 40s and influenced many later avant-garde artists. This specific piece was painted in 1907 and medium is oil on canvas.

 

Analysis

This painting is not hyper-realistic or even realistic. Most of the art from this time period follows the same pattern of shifting away from realism. Rousseau focuses on the vivid colors and textures of the scene. His painting depicts a jungle full of vegetation. Most of the jungle is painted in a dark green hue with the sun rising directly in the background. Only a few things are not painted in green. This makes the viewer focus on these objects more. This includes the lion in the foreground as well as the bananas in the background. 

This painting depicts a lion in a much different way than most paintings. Other artists tend to put the lion in the center of the painting and really highlight the strength and power of the lion. This may give make the lion seem important to the viewer. On the other hand, Rousseau does not especially focus on the lion. Most of the lion is not visible, as only the face, mane, and paws are above the thick vegetation. The lion also has a dead jaguar in his mouth. Even though Rousseau does not show the muscles and teeth of the lion, the dead jaguar gives this lion power. It makes the viewer feel that this lion controls the vast jungle behind him and we should be cautious entering his domain, even while looking at this painting.