The Dream - Rousseau

The painting "The Dream" by Henri Julien Félix Rousseau, created in 1910, is an emblematic work of Naïve Art and Post-Impressionism, an artistic movement characterized by the subjective use of color and forms. In this painting, Rousseau transports us to a surreal jungle landscape, where a naked woman lies on a sofa, defying spatial and temporal conventions, highlighting the influence of Symbolism in his work. The composition presents a contrast between the serenity of the human figure and the exuberance of nature, with exotic animals and dense vegetation that reinforce the dreamlike atmosphere and transport us to an Arcadian landscape, ultimately leaving us with a taste reminiscent of the work of the great Sandro Botticelli.

This balance between the fantastic and the real reflects a psychological depth that connects with dreams and the subconscious, themes also explored by movements like surrealism, which would emerge years later.
Rousseau, self-taught and with a naive style, manages to capture the essence of the primitive and the exotic, fascinating both the viewer and contemporary critics. The arrangement of the elements within the scene does not follow a realistic logic but seems to emerge directly from the artist's imagination, highlighting the creative freedom of his era.