The artwork titled “The Monkeys in the Jungle” was created by the artist Henri Rousseau in 1909. It is an oil painting on canvas that measures 63 by 48 centimeters. This piece exemplifies the Naïve Art movement, particularly Primitivism. Created as a wildlife painting, the artwork is currently housed at the Portland Museum of Art (PMA) in Portland, Maine, United States.
In “The Monkeys in the Jungle,” Rousseau depicts a lush, verdant jungle scene inhabited by monkeys. The foreground features a prominent monkey seated amidst tall grasses and holding an orange fruit, giving the viewer a sense of immediate engagement with the wildlife. Another monkey is shown perched in the trees above, also clutching a fruit, with a few more fruits visible hanging from the branches. There is a striking sense of depth in the painting, achieved through the layering of various types of vegetation—a hallmark of Rousseau’s technique—creating a rich tapestry of green hues and textures. The vegetation is depicted in great detail, with broad-leafed plants and slender, reed-like grasses filling the scene, while the sky is not visible, further emphasizing the sense of being enveloped by the jungle. The painter’s signature is prominently visible at the bottom of the artwork. Henri Rousseau’s characteristic naive style is readily apparent in the simplified forms of the monkeys and the stylized presentation of the plant life, eschewing realistic proportions for a more dreamlike and imaginative representation.
