Henri Rousseau's

by Doris Kutschbach

Published 8 February 2005
In this delightful introduction to the art of Henri Rousseau, children explore a tropical jungle while they learn about the colours and themes that make the artist's paintings masterpieces of deceptive simplicity. As a customs official, Henri Rousseau escaped the boredom of his job by creating colourful paintings of a fantastic dream-world - a place where apes and lions cavort, snakes slither, flamingoes stroll, tigers hunt and enigmatic figures entice unsuspecting visitors amid lush, tropical plants and flowers. This book draws children into Rousseau's famous works, pointing out the many elements and symbols he incorporated, and helping them understand the use of perspective and colour that were his trademarks. Biographical information reveals the importance the natural world played in Rousseau's life and the playful text encourages further investigation into the power of imagination.

The painters of the "Blue Rider" turned the worlds of form and colour upside down to give expression to their feelings, ideas and dreams. Their cows were yellow, people were green, trees red and horses blue. This is one book in the series "Adventures in Art" which is aimed at the young and the young at heart. It takes us on a voyage of discovery, exploring the world of art and showing us how to look at pictures in a relaxed, light-hearted way. Aiming to open up the world of art to children of all ages everywhere, these books present famous artists and their works in a way that should stimulate our own creativity.