Rendezvous in the Forest
1889
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 92 x 73 cm (36 1/4 x 28 3/4 in.) framed: 107.9 x 89.5 x 8.8 cm (42 1/2 x 35 1/4 x 3 7/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CF
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of the W. Averell Harriman Foundation in memory of Marie N. Harriman
Accession Number
1972.9.20
Art Historical Context
Henri Rousseau, a self-taught French artist often called “Le Douanier” for his day job as a customs inspector, painted *Rendezvous in the Forest* in 1889. Working outside the formal art world, Rousseau developed a distinctive naïve style marked by flattened perspective, precise outlines, and dreamlike natural settings. This oil on canvas captures a quiet moment of encounter amid dense woodland, inviting viewers to linger over its mysterious atmosphere. Created during a period when avant-garde circles were beginning to notice outsider talents, the painting reflects Rousseau’s fascination with ...