Portrait of Madame M.
1895 - 1897
Henri Rousseau, a self-taught painter who worked as a toll collector, gives us a masterclass in 1890s fashion with this portrait. The woman's sleeves are so enormous they look like black balloons attached to her shoulders—a style known as 'leg-of-mutton.' She stands rigidly in a dense, flat garden that looks more like a jungle backdrop, holding a closed umbrella while a tiny cat plays with yarn at her feet. It’s a perfect example of Rousseau’s 'naive' style, where perspective is ignored and everything feels slightly dreamlike and stiff, yet charmingly detailed.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
- Material
- Canvas
- Dimensions
- 160.6 cm x 80.3 cm
Location: Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia
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