Carnival Evening
1886 Philadelphia Museum of Art
About this artwork
This oil on canvas painting depicts a couple dressed in carnival costumes standing in a dense, dark forest under a full moon. It is one of the earliest major works by the self-taught artist.
Did you know?
Henri Rousseau, a former tax collector, was famously known as 'Le Douanier' (the customs officer). When 'Carnival Evening' was first exhibited in 1886, critics were baffled by his unconventional, flat, and highly detailed style, yet it would later influence many modernist artists who admired his dreamlike and raw vision.
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Carnival Evening
Henri Rousseau, 1886
