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“Nothing makes me so happy as to observe nature and to paint what I see.”—Henri Rousseau

Born in Laval, France in 1844, Henri Rousseau was a Post-Impressionist painter who was self-taught; he did not begin painting seriously until in his early forties. After high school, while working for a lawyer, he was in trouble for theft. He enlisted in the army. He served in the army for four years.

Rousseau was not trained in art. He cited nature as his teacher. At first, his art was not taken seriously; however, he influenced many talented painters including Pablo Picasso and Jean Metzinger.

Henri Rousseau, La Promenade dans la Foret (The Walk in the Forest) (c. 1886), oil on canvas

I recently began looking at more of his art after being inspired by a series of correspondence by Merril and Andrew. You may read their collaborations here.

I appreciate his use of bright, saturated color, his simple yet magical depiction of the natural world. I find it interesting the way he incorporates human figures into his works in a way that often places them inside the context of the natural world and seems to sublimate that aspect of his work.

Henri Rousseau, Rabbit (1908), oil on canvas

Below is the epitaph placed upon his tombstone, written by poet Guillaume Apollinaire and inscribed by sculptor Constantin Brâncusi:

“We salute you Gentle Rousseau you can hear us
Delaunay, his wife, Monsieur Queval and myself
Let our luggage pass duty free through the gates of heaven
We will bring you brushes, paints and canvas
That you may spend your sacred leisure in the
light and truth of painting
As you once did my portrait facing the stars, lion and the gypsy”

Henri Rousseau, The Waterfall (1910), oil on canvas

Today for Poetics, I thought we might write from a selection of Rousseau’s artwork. Choose one of the paintings in this post and let it be your muse. Additionally, use the above epitaph as a launch point to describe where the painting takes you, the viewer.

Henri Rousseau, Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!) (1891), oil on canvas

If you’re new, here is how to join us:

  • Write a poem in response to the prompt.
  • Enter your name and a link directly to the post containing your poem into Mr. Linky. Remember to check the box to accept use/privacy policy.
  • Read other poets’ work as they enter their links into Mr. Linky. Check back as more will be added.
  • Please link back to dVerse from your post.
  • Have a wonderful time!

Mr. Linky will remain open until 3pm EST on Thursday, July 30, 2026.