Sleeping Gypsy, Symbolism
Factual Information:
From:
Period: 1897
Period: 1897
General Information:
This painting is a Symbolism painting by Henri Rousseau. Henri was retired from his normal job, and hadn't painting very much until his middle ages when he picked it up as a hobby. He never studied art as most of the other prominent artists of this period did, but he did have a natural ability to make very naturalistic figures and an imagination to boot. The painting shown here is of a sleeping gypsy, lying asleep in a completely devoid landscape with a perfectly round moon in the sky. A lion sniffs at the sleeping gypsy, a critical encounter that shows how vulnerable the subconscious is during sleep.
Why This Artwork?
This painting was shown to show the symbolic movement, as well as a rather prominent painting for its movement. The painting is also important because it may have influenced later movements such as surrealism and other movements that deal with the human mind.