Carnival Evening
Although Rousseau is most widely known for his jungle motifs, he was also adept at a style of painting that he coined “portrait landscape.” These paintings included a landscape in the background of the painting, and a portrait in the foreground of the piece. This painting includes a forest in the background, which was one of the painting types first produced and displayed by Rousseau, foreshadowing his complex jungle scenes. Critics were initially baffled at the images of the people, who in many cases were strangely costumed, and somehow located in the middle of a large and foreboding forest. This painting is also notable for its lack of perspective, as the entire image is painted in one dimensional pane, as if on a backdrop.
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