“The Toll House” is an artwork by Henri Rousseau, created in the year 1890. This painting is an exemplar of the Naïve Art movement, often associated with Primitivism, and it is rendered in oil on canvas. The dimensions of the piece measure approximately 32.8 by 40.6 centimeters. As a cityscape, it captures an urban scene and is currently housed at the Courtauld Gallery in London, United Kingdom.
The artwork portrays a serene and verdant city environment, framed by the structured lines of a black metal gate and tall, leafy trees standing as sentinels along the pathways. In the background, there are domineering smokestacks that rise above the horizon, reminding the viewer of the encroachment of industrialization into the natural world. The palette is rich with greens, hinting at the freshness of the foliage contrasted against the more somber tones of the built elements, like the gate and the distant buildings.
In the foreground, a figure stands beside the gate in a contemplative pose, possibly a guard or toll collector, depicting a human presence within this space where nature and human-made structures coalesce. The sky above is painted in light colors, suggesting the time of day might be late afternoon, with shadows casting long forms upon the ground, further accentuating the interplay between light and dark, organic and artificial within the composition. Through its distinctive style, the artwork conveys a peaceful yet imposing atmosphere, reflective of the complex relationship between urban growth and the natural environment.
