War 'La Guerre' (1894) by Henri Rousseau, Art Print from the Original, on Canvas

Public domain art from Musée d'Orsay, Paris, digitally enhanced. Oil on canvas.

More than 20 years after the Franco-Prussian conflict of 1870 and the Commune in 1871 when Henri Rousseau painted 'War', he was still very much affected by these events. In the centre, we see a grimacing female character holding a sword and a torch. This kind of Bellona, Roman goddess of war, rides a horse which looks more like a hybrid monster.

The dark ground is covered with a pile of bodies, with crows feeding on this human flesh. The trees look charred. The clouds are red. Without any anecdotal or narrative elements, Rousseau conveys the drama in images. The large number of jagged shapes and the choice of colours, in particular, all contribute to this: the green of hope is completely absent; black and red, the colours of mourning and blood, dominate.

Among the possible sources for 'War', one influence is clear. The posture of the horse, a sort of "flying gallop", corresponds exactly to the pose of the horses in Epsom Derby by Théodore Géricault (1821). However, thanks to the analysis of this movement through photography, it was known during Rousseau's time that this positioning was impossible, and never occurs during a horse's gallop.

Ferdinand Hodler's 'Night' can also be seen as an influence. In this painting, which caused a great stir when it was exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1891, the bodies stretched out parallel to the plane of the painting, the range of colours and the presence of 'Death' in the centre of the composition, are all elements which might have been suggested to Rousseau by Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918).

At the Salon des Indépendants in 1894, 'War' was received either with sarcasm, due to its heavy-handed appearance, or with enthusiasm as a result of its totally independent style. Thus, the young painter Louis Roy wrote in Le Mercure de France: "This picture may well appear strange because it does not evoke anything seen before. Is that not in itself a masterly quality?"

Printed artwork on this premium satin canvas. Host your exhibition, sell merchandise, decorate your home, or make a stunning gift of art. Each pre-stretched canvas comes with a wooden inner frame. 

.: 100% Polyester
.: Wooden inner frame
.: Metallic mounts on the back of canvas
.: Horizontal and vertical options available
.: For indoor use
.: Ready to hang
.: Printed on demand and shipped from the UK