Rousseau, Henri (1844-1910)
La Seine à Meudon (Outskirts of Paris)
1897–1905
Oil on fabric, 37.8 x 45.8 cm
Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland
Rousseau once said to Picasso: “We are the two greatest artists of this era, you in the Egyptian style, I in the modern style.” In addition to his large jungle scenes, Rousseau also painted small landscapes, including this view of a river or canal on the outskirts of Paris. While retaining a sharp, detailed rendering of objects, Rousseau has abandoned the flat tonality of his earlier works for more blended modeling and freer brushwork. The volumes of the clouds, trees, and houses occupy distinct areas in space, revealing the serenity of an organized world. A self-taught painter who, at the age of 41, quit his job in the Paris municipal toll or tax service to devote himself entirely to art, Rousseau was widely admired by avant-garde artists for his intuitive sense of design and inventive subjects. (CMA)