Old Man Juniet's Trap 1908

Henri Rousseau made "Old Man Juniet's Trap" with oil on canvas, and it's a whole world, all its own. The paint here is so flat and deliberate, it's like each shape is asserting its right to exist, without blending or fuss. Look at that horse – a creature built from simple, careful strokes, with an almost ghostly presence. You can practically feel Rousseau figuring it out as he goes. The colors are so contained and solid; the black of the outfits, the orange of the wheels, the white of the horse, and the brushstrokes are visible, raw, and honest. Rousseau, like many artists, wasn't afraid to just put it all out there, the real and the imagined. He reminds me of someone like Florine Stettheimer, who also created these quirky, self-contained worlds. They are embracing the weird and the wonderful, and making art a space for their own kind of storytelling.