Portrait of a Woman
1895 Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris
About this artwork
This full-length portrait features a woman with short dark hair, wearing a dark blue dress with exaggerated puffed sleeves and a high yellow collar, set against a backdrop of dense, stylized greenery and a pale blue sky. The painting is notable for its flat perspective and dreamlike atmosphere, characteristic of Rousseau's self-taught style.
Did you know?
Henri Rousseau, often called "Le Douanier" (the customs officer), was a self-taught artist whose unique style profoundly influenced avant-garde artists despite never receiving formal training. His "naïve" works, like this portrait, are characterized by their dreamlike, almost child-like quality, often featuring lush, fantastical jungles and stark, unblinking figures. The inclusion of a small cat playing with a ball of yarn at the bottom right adds an unexpected touch of domesticity to this otherwise serene, otherworldly scene, highlighting Rousseau's distinctive blend of the ordinary and the extraordinary.
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Portrait of a Woman
Henri Rousseau, 1895
