Henri Rousseau

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Henri Rousseau’s A Centennial of Independence was painted in 1892 and is on oil on canvas. The painting is roughly 44 by 61 inches and is currently on view at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. Rousseau, alongside others such as Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, belongs to the Post-Impressionist movement, which deviated from the traditional academic style of painting; however, Rousseau’s art can be further classified towards the naïve and primitivism subcategories. The painting depicts a scene that “commemorated the one-hundredth anniversary of the proclamation of the first French Republic in 1792” (The Getty Museum). Through his compositional choices and use of symbolism, Rousseau is able to evoke his distinctive, individual style while interpreting…show more content…
The attire of the peasant figures are very vibrant and lively in color. These figures represent a majority of the main colors on the color spectrum. For example, the male on the left of the dancing circle is dressed in mainly yellow while the female figure in the center of the dancing circle is dressed in mainly red. The peasant figures may be dressed in a wide variation of colors to represent unity and progress of France. The colors of the peasants’ attires may represent social differences—such as location of residence or labor roles—but despite their differences, they all come together in synchronous harmony in order to further advance their country, their home. The colors are also able to differentiate the class of the figures. On the right side of the painting, the attire of the regal figures are more classically colors and much more bold. The setting of the painting is also very vivid, which can be seen through the hues of the waving flags, foliage, and sky. In addition, the colors of the setting complement to the overall atmosphere of the…show more content…
The regal figures on the right side of the painting are very rigid and close together. These regal figures may be represented in this manner in order to demonstrate the “the solidity of the French Republic” (The Getty Museum). In addition, even though the regal figures are close together, they still maintain space from the peasants, which could further represent the division of class. Unlike the regal figures, the peasants make a majority of the mass of the painting and are not stagnant. Like their societal roles, the peasants’ activeness is what stimulates and runs their society. With their celebrations comes great importance. The figures in the back, such as the musician, also allude to the cultural sense within the
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