The artwork entitled “Landscape in Montsouris Park with Five Figures” was crafted by Henri Rousseau in 1910. This piece is created using oil on canvas and measures 38 x 46 cm. It represents the Naïve Art movement, specifically Primitivism, and falls under the landscape genre. Currently, the artwork is housed in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, Russia.
The artwork depicts a tranquil scene within Montsouris Park, a location likely in France given the artist’s origin. Five figures are scattered throughout the serene setting. The attention to detail in the foliage conveys a lush environment, with varying textures and shades of greenery dominating the canvas. Tall trees flank the composition on the left, while the right side features a solid structure with a distinctive red roof, perhaps a building or pavilion within the park.
A fence aligning a path provides linear perspective, inviting viewers into the scene. The figures, composed with simplicity and a lack of specific detail, contribute to the everyday, almost mundane quality of the scene. The lack of precision in the human forms is characteristic of the Naïve Art style, offering an unrefined quality that is both charming and introspective.
This artwork is reflective of Rousseau’s approach to art, embracing a childlike sensibility and a straightforward depiction of the world around him. The serenity of the park and the leisurely activities of the figures within it encapsulate a moment in time, a snapshot of leisure and nature intertwined, as seen through Rousseau’s unique lens.
