The artwork entitled “Child with a Puppet” was created by artist Henri Rousseau circa 1903. This oil on canvas piece measures 81 by 100 centimeters and is categorized within the Naïve Art or Primitivism movement, more specifically labeled as a portrait. The artwork is currently housed at the Kunsthalle Winterthur in Winterthur, Switzerland.
In the artwork, a child is depicted standing in a lush garden, characterized by a simplistic style that aligns with the Naïve Art movement. The child’s expression appears attentive and focused, while holding a puppet in one hand. This puppet seems to be a colorful figure of a man with a playful, jester-like appearance. The other hand of the child grasps a bunch of freshly picked flowers, adding a sense of innocence and charm to the scene. The palette utilized comprises bright, vivid colors that imbue the work with a serene, almost whimsical atmosphere. The careful rendering of nature, evident in the trees and flowers surrounding the child, is juxtaposed with the stylized and somewhat disproportionate form of the child and puppet, creating a contrast that is typical of Rousseau’s approach to capturing the simplicity and sincerity of his subjects.
