Tropical Forest with Monkeys
Painting on canvas • Henri Rousseau (Le Douanier)
Style & Movement
Naïve Art / Post-Impressionism
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas using a precisionist, layered application characteristic of Naïve art, featuring flat modeling and decorative arrangements of flora.
Creation Period
circa 1910
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 129.5 x 162.5 cm (standard large landscape format for his jungle works)
Subject Description
A lush, densly packed jungle scene featuring several monkeys amidst stylized exotic plants, including white and yellow lotus-like flowers and large red-finned leaves. The composition lacks traditional perspective, creating a dream-like, flattened tapestry effect common in Rousseau's 'Jungle' series.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Very Good; the surface appears stable with some typical age-related craquelure and minor yellowing of the varnish consistent with works from the early 20th century.
Estimated Market Value
$20,000,000 - $40,000,000
Auction Estimate
$25,000,000 - $35,000,000
Provenance History
Likely passed through key early 20th-century Parisian collectors of avant-garde art (such as Paul Guillaume or Wilhelm Uhde) before entering a major museum collection (National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.).
Art Historical Significance
A masterpiece of Naïve art, Rousseau's jungle paintings were highly influential to the Surrealists and Picassoid circles. They represent a unique synthesis of botanical observation (from Paris gardens) and pure imagination.
Notable Features
Features the artist's signature use of disparate scales and fantastical 'invented' botany; the red plant in the foreground is a recurring motif used to create rhythmic horizontal depth.
Condition Issues
Visible fine-pattern craquelure throughout the high-pigment areas; minor surface abrasions along the frame edges.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain in a climate-controlled environment with UV-filtered lighting; periodic professional surface cleaning and monitoring of localized delamination.