The title is a little misleading as to the content. To see the title without the painting is to imagine a boy on a series of rocks, perhaps at a beach, looking out at the sea in particular Rousseau style; in this case, however, it’s a picture of a boy sitting astride what almost looks to be a mountain peak. In other words, he’s huge. And given the odd look of his face and clothing he almost looks like a mime.

It’s an extremely strange picture, but definitely one that’s worth checking out for yourself.

But part of it may have come from Rousseau’s profession. Painting didn’t pay the bills unless you were extremely famous, after all, and Rousseau was not during his life. As such he worked in a patent office to pay for his expenses. Not a glamorous place by any stretch of the imagination.

And unfortunately, this title attached itself to Rousseau from then on, as he was called Henri Le Douanier Rousseau quite often. Or, in English, Henri ‘The Patent Officer’ Rousseau. Not terribly nice, that.

At the time of its unveiling Tiger in a Tropical Storm received rather mixed reviews and did not do terribly well. Which is a shame, because it’s a lovely picture. The look of terror on the tiger’s face gives nature a new face: the tiger isn’t just some faceless monster anymore, it’s a complex animal with a concept of fear. And even though the painting is static you can tell it has something to fear, as all the plants in the picture are gusting in the same direction (though, oddly, the tiger’s tail isn’t affected).

Apparently Rousseau himself said that it was about to pounce on a group of explorers. But that doesn’t seem right, does it? The tiger looks mortally afraid, somehow. Perhaps it’s the wideness of the eyes that brings it to life.

Who knows. As always, the painting is open to interpretation by its viewers, and that’s why it’s a good one.

The Dream’s first notable figure is that of a naked woman lounging on a chair. Because the rest of the painting is done in greens and browns your eyes are drawn immediately to her. As you look down the length of her arm, however, your eye is invariably drawn to the rest of the scene: birds perched in trees, huge flowers blooming almost unnaturally, a snake winding its way out of the plants, and a pair of lions at the feet of a native man playing some kind of wind instrument.

What does it mean? Well, that’s open to interpretation. It could be that the woman has nothing to fear from nature, and thus can go so far as sitting alone, naked, in a jungle, without fear of hurt. As with any good painting, however, this meaning can be personal for everybody looking at the painting.

Rousseau finished The Dream not long before his death, as he also died in 1910.

The Henri Rousseau Carnival Evening is slightly more foreboding than Rousseau’s other pieces. It envisions a couple – a woman, plainly dressed, and a man, in almost clown-like garb – walking through a forest. The trees are bare, and a small fenced structure sits to one side. As with many of Rousseau’s paintings the moon is out, though the sun still seems to be setting in the background.

Though well done the painting sets a grim scene. Neither man nor woman look excited at the prospect of a carnival: indeed the man almost looks upset, his mouth a thick, black line. Their bright white clothing stands starkly out against the darkness of the jagged forest that seems ready to gobble them up.

The original painting can now be found at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Rousseau specialized in natural scenery, often expending his efforts on lush jungles (jungles he never personally witnessed in his lifetime). One of his best-known paintings, however, had nothing to with jungles: The Sleeping Gypsy.

An oil on canvas work painted in 1897, The Sleeping Gypsy depicts a lion investigating a gypsy woman sleeping in a desert. A lute sits at her side and the moon hangs overhead.

Though potentially a menacing scene, there is an overriding feeling of the peace: the painting’s generally cool colours betray no passion in the lion beyond idle curiosity. And though it takes place at night, the moon and a smattering of stars amply and realistically brighten the painting. The end result is a dreamlike composition befitting the calm night sky that it depicts.