The Flamingoes 1907

Henri Rousseau painted "The Flamingoes" on canvas at the turn of the 20th century, conjuring an imaginary exotic landscape. Rousseau never left France, but was fascinated by stories of the tropics, fueled by visits to Paris's botanical gardens and illustrated books. This painting reflects the French colonial imagination, where the exotic "other" was seen as a place of vibrant, untamed nature, but one that was also subject to French dominion. In Rousseau's vision, we see the dark silhouettes of figures on a distant shore, and in the foreground the eponymous flamingoes appear, existing alongside outsized water lilies in a composition of vibrant colors. Rousseau exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants, one of the new venues for art outside the official Salon system, suggesting his work was part of a progressive move in opposition to the conservative French academy. To understand Rousseau's painting more fully, scholars might consult colonial archives, literature of the period, and exhibition records. In doing so, we can appreciate how art is always embedded in particular social and institutional frameworks.