The Jardin du Luxembourg
by ROUSSEAU, Henri, Oil on canvas, 38 x 47 cm
A bombastic inscription on the back of the painting proclaims “A View of the Jardin du Luxembourg. The Monument to Chopin.Composition.” Following the example of recognized masters, Rousseau found an interesting motif and then worked it up, perfecting the composition in the studio. The thoroughly executed, immobile, and trivial details of his landscapes come together in meaningful “dumb scenes” that prompted a contemporary to dub him “the dreamer of reality.”