LESSON IDEAS: Henri Rousseau - Art and Science

Middle School Ideas    Elementary Ideas    Lesson Plans

Begin your lesson with "Where's the Tiger" - song by Greg Percy. 
Get the kids acting out the song. Have some fun!

Brief Biography

Self portrait    Photograph

Rousseau, Henri -- known as Le Douanier Rousseau (1844-1910). French painter, the most celebrated of naïve (untrained) artists.

His nickname refers to the job he held with the Paris Customs Office (1871-93), although he never actually rose to the rank of `Douanier' (Customs Officer). Before this he had served in the army, and he later claimed to have seen service in Mexico, but this story seems to be a product of his imagination. He took up painting as a hobby and accepted early retirement in 1893 so he could devote himself to art.

His character was extraordinarily ingenuous and he suffered much ridicule (although he sometimes interpreted sarcastic remarks literally and took them as praise) as well as enduring great poverty. However, his faith in his own abilities never wavered. He tried to paint in the academic manner traditionalist artists, but it was the innocence and charm of his work that won him the admiration of the avant-garde: in 1908 Picasso gave a banquet, half serious half burlesque, in his honor. Rousseau is now best known for his jungle scenes, the first of which is Surprised! (Tropical Storm with a Tiger) (National Gallery, London, 1891) and the last The Dream (MOMA, New York, 1910). These two paintings are works of great imaginative power, in which he showed his extraordinary ability to retain the utter freshness of his vision even when working on a large scale and with loving attention to detail. He claimed such scenes were inspired by his experiences in Mexico, but in fact his sources were illustrated books and visits to the zoo and botanical gardens in Paris.

His other work ranges from the jaunty humor of The Football Players (Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1908) to the mesmeric, eerie beauty of The Sleeping Gypsy (MOMA, 1897). Rousseau was buried in a pauper's grave, but his greatness began to be widely acknowledged soon after his death.  (This biography is copied from Web Museum. Permission was not obtained to copy it - bio will be removed upon request)

Internet Links:

Know the Artist: Henri Rousseau links page

Jungle Interactive - create your own Rousseau style jungle on line. New from National Gallery of Art. 

School Art: Imaginary World of Henri Rousseau - Biography and a close look at Tropical Forest with Monkeys, 1910 - from National Gallery of Art

Art and Ecology Lesson -  Tropical Forest with Monkeys -  from National Gallery of Art

Music Integration:
"Foliage" by Riverdale Ensemble A tribute album to Henri Rousseau. -- features Rousseau's "Clemence Waltz" and  interpretations of three of Rousseau's works of art, "Merry Jesters," "Carnival Evening," and "Sleeping Gypsy." 

Excellent Video:
Dropping in on Rousseau  Video. A cleverly animated video of the artist Henri Rousseau for young viewers. A bird, Puffer, in an entertaining manner, interviews Rousseau giving him the opportunity to explain how he developed his unique style of painting birds, animals, and plant life after viewing them at the Paris Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Rousseau describes some of his paintings as actual examples are shown. Written by Pam Stephens and animations by Jim McNeill.

Middle School Ideas

Submitted by: Judy Decker
Unit: Art of Haiti, Rousseau, Science Integration
Project: Haitian Landscape - Markers
Grade level: middle school (6th grade)
Extension: Foil tooling lizard (inspired by Haitian steel drum lizards)
Extension; Shadow box poster board frame
Concepts: Elements and Principles of design, perspective using overlapping and scale, Science - biomes and adaptations.

Materials: Henri Rousseau reproductions, Haitian art reproductions, Animal handouts, live plants, 12 x 18 newsprint (for planning), 12 x 18 white drawing paper, Seral transfer paper, Ultra fine point Sharpei markers, assorted watercolor markers (Overwriters work great but are no longer available). This lesson reviewed the work of Henri Rousseau (an artist students were introduced to in elementary) and presented the art of Haiti. Students also looked for similarities in Edward Hicks' "Peaceable Kingdom" and that of Henri Rousseau. Comparisons were also drawn between the work of Rousseau and that of the Haitian painters. Students created a composition drawing from live house plants and handouts of various animals. They wrote about the biome in which the animals lives and any adaptation they would have to make to live in that environment.  Lesson Plan - Lizard Lesson Plan

Elementary Ideas

Submitted by: Mary Lathron - Caledonia-Mumford Elementary, New York.
Lesson: Printmaking - 3-D layered print (2 plates)
Grade Level: 2nd grade through grade 6

Click images for larger views

The prints are made from Styrofoam printing plates....they used one color of ink (actually, I use Chromacryl) - they had a choice of light or dark green for the foliage prints. They printed multiple copies on white paper. The animal image was printed in the same manner - they could use red, orange or yellow ink. When the prints were dry, they hand colored their prints using Sanford plastic markers (they are very crayon-like, but you can sharpen them in a regular pencil sharpener...they are "kind-of" erasable and they are hollow inside....I love them!) They cut out their animals and mounted them to the foliage prints using the foam 3D-O's. 

I use the Dropping in on Rousseau video and book in the beginning stages of the lesson to introduce the lesson/artist etc. While the students are working I play part of the audio cassette from the book called Panther Dream. (http://www.deaddisc.com/disc/Panther_Dreams.htm) Awesome rainforest sounds accompanied by music. The book and music is a collaboration by Bob Weir (Grateful Dead) and his sister Wendy. At some point in the lesson I will read the whole book to them....they love it!

Note: for 6th grade, you might want to do some reduction printing - reduce plate and print in multiple colors rather than coloring one color prints. Reduction prints will make it more of a challenge for them.

Submitted by: Jeannette Anthos, J. H. House Elementary, Conyers, GA
Lesson Idea: Peaceable Kingdom 
Lesson Plan available (on Artsonia) 
Grade level: elementary (this was fourth grade)
Lesson Focus: Elements: color, line, shape, Principles: repetition, rhythm, unity, Historical period: Henri Rousseau, Edward Hicks
Materials: white drawing paper, Sharpie markers, crayons or oil pastels

Present a couple different versions of Edward Hick's "Peaceable Kingdom" painting to the students. Can they find differences in the works? Present a couple of Henri Rousseau's jungles. Can they find similarities? Talk briefly about the biomes in which animals live (connect to science). Have students select animals for their won "Peaceable Kingdom". They may draw plants from life (bring in a few house plants for examples). After they have drawn approximately 1" border all around - using a ruler - draw animals and plants. Outline with Sharpie marker and color with selected media (colored pencils, crayons, or markers). Design a border using repeated pattern. Lesson Plan now in Incredible Art Department (copied from Artsonia)

(Left above) Submitted by Tracy Albert, May Whitney Elementary
Lesson idea: Bugs - a close look
Grade Level: elementary (these are second grade)
Lesson focus: Drawing from life - Scientific illustration, shape, line, color plan, overlapping
Materials: actual bugs (from bug collections - if available), pictures of insects, pencils, erasers, Sharpie markers (or black crayons), Markers (or crayons), watercolors, brushes, 9 x 12 drawing paper (or 12 x 18).

Sharpies and watercolors. 2nd grade studies bugs. Tracy spent time talking about the various parts of a bug (science integration). Students zoom in on details of bugs. Draw several - making some go off the page. Repeat some of the bugs but also show variety. Add a variety of leaves/plants - overlapping. Outline with black crayon or Sharpie and color bugs (leave wings the white of the paper for contrast). Paint the leaves and negative space with watercolors. Resources for insect art below. See watercolors by Lucy Arnold - many nice butterfly paintings.

(Right above) Submitted by: Christine Sumner Lyman
Lesson Idea: Pop -up Jungle - using 3-Dos or form core scraps

Another idea would be a 3-D pop-up jungle. I have made them using small pieces of foam core board. Another teachers has used 3-D's.  Students create overlapping layers using 3 do's. or small foam core squares. Students drew plants, trees and animals on larger white white drawing paper or construction paper. They cut them out and arranged their jungle on 9 x 12 (or larger) construction paper using over lapping (I did mine 12"x 18") To create a 3-D effect - 3-Do's or foam core squares are glued.  Note from Judy: I have found that the 3-Do's work better if they are also glued. The adhesive didn't hold up when I used them with elementary students.

Submitted by: Judy Decker
Lesson Idea: A Bug's Eye View- Garden Scene
Grade level: second grade
Lesson focus: drawing from life - plants /science - overlapping - color 
Materials: actual plant leaves & vegetables, plant pictures, pictures of vegetables, pencils, erasers, 12 x 18 white drawing paper, crayons (or oil pastels), watercolors, brushes, water dishes.

Show students jungle paintings by Henri Rousseau -discuss different greens - overlapping - drawing plants from life. Talk a little about plants and the parts of a plant. Show different types/shapes of leaves. Have students draw plants growing in the garden - up close - show cross section so you can see vegetables that grows underground (like carrots, radishes and beets). Have students draw the roots of the plants below the surface of the ground. Draw foliage and vegetables above ground - use overlapping to create a crowded garden. . Plants should go off the top of the paper- draw large.  Add bugs and worms (earthworms below ground). Color vegetables and plants heavily with crayon. Obtain a variety of greens by layering colors (more yellow greens and more blue greens -- add some red to green, too). Color the ground. Paint the background all the way down to the ground line (blues or yellow work well for the background). Paint the ground with brown. Discuss how the student work is similar to Henri Rousseau and how it is different. This is a good project for the start of the year (especially if you teach in a rural school district where many of the students have gardens). I took in many different plant clippings from my garden when I did this lesson.

Submitted by: Tracy Albert May, May Whitney Elementary 
Lesson Idea: It's a Jungle Out There (Henri Rousseau) 
Grade level: Elementary - middle school (these are 5th grade)
Lesson Focus: Science, overlapping, color, shape, line, texture, pattern, unity
Materials: animal handouts, 9 x 12 bright construction paper (or 12 x 18), pencils/erasers, black crayon (or Sharpies), oil pastels (construction paper crayons could be substituted), black tempera (dishwashing liquid added)

These works are awesome! Start by showing students several works by Henri Rousseau (Haitian works can also be used). Draw jungles on bright colored construction paper - include border design. Outline with black Sharpie or black crayon. Color heavily with oil pastels (build up a good layer). Brush over with black tempera with a little soap added (picture underneath barely visible). Paper clips scratched through the tempera to reveal the picture underneath (could also use scratch tools). All students had success - a sure fire winner. Good for grade 4 thru 6.

From Laraine Galloway: One year I did jungle scenes in the style of Rousseau.  I took the class to the Norton Simon Museum to study a Rousseau.  Each student was given a gift, a print of the Rousseau painting from the museum. The project they did was done on black mat poster board (about 24" x 20") - because I had some that was donated - and oil pastel.  The requirements were: 3 animals and one of the animals had to be a tiger and lots of vegetation. I did demos of basic plant and leaf designs, horizon lines, overlapping, working background to foreground, and provided lots of animal and plant references. Rousseau's style was very simple for them to emulate. They turned out great!

See also: 4th Grade Symmetrical Paper Masks 
4th Iguana masks. Focus was on symmetry although we were studying Rousseau.
Colored markers.

Additional Lesson Plans for Henri Rousseau

Lesson by Pam Stephens - Henri Rousseau Jungles - grades 2 thru 4

6th Grade Haitian Jungles - markers drawings  - Judy Decker (IAD)

7th Grade Henri Rousseau Landscape Weaving - Larry Prescott (IAD)

4th Grade Peaceable Kingdom Landscapes - Jeanette Anthos (IAD)

2nd Grade - Monkey in the Jungle - by Melanie Messick (NC Public Schools)

Grade 4 - 6 Rousseau Fantasy Jungle - by Rebecca Engleman (KinderArt)

Interdisciplinary - Music and Art - Music and Art Masterworks

Grade 4 thru 6 - Color Planning - using master art works (uses one of Rousseau's works)

Grade 3 thru 4 - Lesson on Dreams - artists who paint dreams Rousseau is listed as a source.

Elementary- Animal Hide and Seek - Crayola. I can see lots of different ways to do this lesson - with different media. Students draw one animal close up - add animal patterns. Color with choice of media - cut out and glue to another color of paper. Then hide with leaf cutouts. Students can share leaf patterns for variety. It would be fun to even make some leaves 3 D (3-Do's). Lots of possibilities.