Painting reproduction on canvas of the artwork
Myself, Portrait-Landscape (Rousseau)

“Myself, Portrait-Landscape” is an ambitious self-portrait in which Henri Rousseau presents himself as an artist. He depicts himself full-length, dressed in black, wearing a beret, and proudly holding his attributes, the palette and the brush. But far from painting himself in a studio, he places himself in the heart of a reinvented Parisian landscape. Behind him, we recognize a quay of the Seine, a metal bridge, and a ship adorned with multiple flags. The sky is populated with stylized clouds and even a hot-air balloon, a symbol of modernity. It is a manifesto self-portrait, where Rousseau asserts his identity as a modern painter, rooted in his time. The naive style, with its frontal perspective and refined forms, gives the artist a monumental and solemn stature. He does not just paint his face; he paints his universe, a world where reality is transfigured by art.