The artwork “The Repast of the Lion,” created by Henri Rousseau circa 1907, is a captivating oil on canvas reflecting the Naïve Art movement, particularly Primitivism. Measuring approximately 44 3/4 x 63 inches (113.7 x 160 cm), this wildlife painting is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, NY, US.
This artwork presents a lush, vibrant jungle scene teeming with dense foliage and exotic plants. The colors are vivid, displaying a range of deep greens, and bright yellows to subdued blues. In the midst of this verdant environment, a lion, depicted with a serene expression, is seen partaking in a meal. The representation of the lion is almost tranquil as opposed to ferocious, which often characterizes depictions of this predatory animal. The background suggests dusk or dawn, with a subtle, pale sun visible behind the greenery. Rousseau’s stylized approach to painting the flora and the fauna gives an almost dreamlike quality to the scene, with the elements of the composition all holding equal visual weight, which is characteristic of the artist’s style and harkens to the Primitivism movement’s emphasis on a more instinctual and less refined aesthetic.
