Exotic Landscape

Henri Rousseau made this intriguing oil on canvas, Exotic Landscape, sometime near the turn of the 20th century. Rousseau never left France, yet he became known for his imaginary jungle scenes. This lush, painterly vision of the exotic, challenges the traditional art institutions of France. While academic painters looked to classical history and mythology, Rousseau, a self-taught artist, found inspiration in popular imagery. The bright colors and flat perspective create a dreamlike world, far removed from the realities of colonial exploitation in the countries that were being depicted. Rousseau’s paintings invite us to consider how ideas about the exotic were formed and circulated during this period. Colonial expositions, travel literature, and the popular press all contributed to an image of faraway lands. This artwork's meaning is contingent on this complex social and institutional context, which historians can uncover through careful research.