Portrait of Joseph Brummer, Henri Rousseau (1909)
In Henri Rousseau's portrait titled "Portrait of Joseph Brummer," the viewer is directly engaged by the confident gaze of the Hungarian art dealer Joseph Brummer (1883–1947), who is depicted casually holding a cigarette. Brummer, who had just inaugurated his gallery in Paris the year this painting was created, was a notable dealer in African art and one of Rousseau's most dedicated supporters. He is portrayed seated in a wicker chair adorned with red velvet, set against a backdrop of a landscape.
This painting is a quintessential example of Rousseau's unique portrait-landscape style, where he integrates elements of landscape to subtly reflect the character or profession of the subject. Rousseau, a self-taught artist, gained fame for his intricate and fantastical jungle scenes filled with diverse wildlife and lush vegetation. His distinctive approach was initially met with skepticism, with early critics dismissing his work as 'childish' due to its non-traditional style.
