Painted in 1910, at the cusp of the modernist revolution that swept from Paris across the globe, Henri Rousseau's "The Dream" is a dense jungle of imaginative intensity. Created by a toll collector and self-taught painter, "The Dream" quickly captured the imagination of the French intelligentsia. Having never left his native France, Rousseau, often derided by his colleagues for his artistic aspirations, created a wealth of works that can be seen today as mental travelogues. Taking his inspiration from contemporary images of colonial explorations, children's books, wildlife books and postcards, the artist wiled away his spare time at both the Jardin des Plantes and the French National Natural History Museum. The result is not a cold field drawing of an exotic curiosity but a dense and deeply personal intermingling of the popular iconography of urban Paris. Innocuous beasts that paw their way through the jungle thicket are gradually occupying Rousseau's dream. They are the arbiters of the fantastic that infiltrate the day-to-day inanity of the artist's ticket-punching responsibilities. It is a fantastic example of mental travel made by an artist nearing the end of his natural life, never able to journey beyond the confines of the urban jungle of Paris. With a departing sense of hope, intense fascination with the world, and a firm belief in the powers of the creative process, Rousseau's spirit and primitive style became a manifesto for subsequent generations of artistic innovators. Often mocked by his contemporaries, Rousseau's painterly hallucinations were not the product of a prestigious schooling in the academies, but a consequence of an inquisitive, complex mind, carried away by love and a yearning for variety.
Painted in 1910, at the cusp of the modernist revolution that swept from Paris across the globe, Henri Rousseau’s “The Dream” is a dense jungle of imaginative intensity. Created by a toll collector and self-taught painter, “The Dream” quickly captured the imagination of the French intelligentsia. Having never left his native France, Rousseau, often derided by his colleagues for his artistic aspirations, created a wealth of works that can be seen today as mental travelogues. Taking his inspiration from contemporary images of colonial explorations, children’s books, wildlife books and postcards, the artist wiled away his spare time at both the Jardin des Plantes and the French National Natural History Museum. The result is not a cold field drawing of an exotic curiosity but a dense and deeply personal intermingling of the popular iconography of urban Paris. Innocuous beasts that paw their way through the jungle thicket are gradually occupying Rousseau’s dream. They are the arbiters of the fantastic that infiltrate the day-to-day inanity of the artist’s ticket-punching responsibilities. It is a fantastic example of mental travel made by an artist nearing the end of his natural life, never able to journey beyond the confines of the urban jungle of Paris. With a departing sense of hope, intense fascination with the world, and a firm belief in the powers of the creative process, Rousseau’s spirit and primitive style became a manifesto for subsequent generations of artistic innovators. Often mocked by his contemporaries, Rousseau’s painterly hallucinations were not the product of a prestigious schooling in the academies, but a consequence of an inquisitive, complex mind, carried away by love and a yearning for variety.
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Lifetime Warranty
“Is this new?” That is what you are going to hear for the next 50 years. Your yellows will stay as yellow as the first day you hung your art. If not, we will replace it.
Handcrafted Quality
Every item is made-to-order and assembled in-house by our team, using only premium materials...cuz we're a little obsessed about art.
Made in The USA
All of our premium materials are sourced from the states, and then assembled at iCanvas, in Illinois. Lincoln would be proud.
Canvas Print Framing Options
Gallery Wrapped Canvas
All of our artwork comes gallery wrapped. The image is stretched around the sides and stapled to the
back of the wooden frame. Your piece of art will be ready to hang, and will include an easy-to-use
hanging kit.
Canvas Stretcher Bar Keys
The use of canvas stretcher bar keys is essential for preserving the visual appeal of canvas artwork, as they allow for the adjustment of canvas tension, which in turn guarantees a surface that is free of wrinkles. Stretcher keys are the preferred canvas stretching method by art professionals around the world as well as ours.
FRAME OPTIONS
Black & white matte frames have a sleek lacquer finish and are versatile enough to pair with almost any piece of art. Mottled gold & silver frames are hard wood with a textured metallic finish. Silver pairs well with cool colors and dark backgrounds, while gold pairs particularly well with classic art, traditional décor, and warmer colors. Dark wood can look great with rustic, farmhouse, nature and photography prints.
Framed Canvas Framing Options
Gallery Wrapped Canvas
All of our artwork comes gallery wrapped. The image is stretched around the sides and stapled to the
back of the wooden frame. Your piece of art will be ready to hang, and will include an easy-to-use
hanging kit.
Floating Frame
A little “armor for your art” that won‘t obscure the canvas. Your canvas print is
gallery wrapped and mounted to a 2" thick, elegant, black hard wood frame. The art is inset, leaving a
3/8" space between the art and frame, creating the illusion that your art is “floating.”
FRAME OPTIONS
Black & white matte frames have a sleek lacquer finish and are versatile enough to pair with almost any piece of art. Mottled gold & silver frames are hard wood with a textured metallic finish. Silver pairs well with cool colors and dark backgrounds, while gold pairs particularly well with classic art, traditional décor, and warmer colors. Dark wood can look great with rustic, farmhouse, nature and photography prints.
About Fine Art Prints
Fine Art Paper
Presented on heavyweight (300 GSM) fine art paper with a distinct textured surface, using long-lasting ultra-chrome inks. A white border is left around the artwork for self-matting or to draw the eye in further.
Low-Glare Acrylic
Acrylite clear-coat premium glazing reduces glare while maintaining a crystal clear view of your art. Your art will be well protected and easy to clean.
Frame Options
Our Indonesian hardwood frames are handcrafted at iCanvas. Black & white matte frames have a sleek lacquer finish and are versatile enough to pair with almost any piece of art.
Mottled Gold has a textured metallic finish and pairs particularly well with classic art, traditional décor, and warmer colors.
Natural Wood brings the outdoors in and pairs well with watercolors, Scandinavian style artwork, or any natural, earthy subject matter.
Highest Quality Standards
Giclee Printing Process
The standard for precision and stunning color reproduction.
Premium Materials
The best quality canvas for texture and finish; premium inks for vivid color; hand-stretched over 100% North American pine frames.
Handcrafted
Every item is made-to-order — printed, stretched, and stapled here, at iCanvas.