You Stepped Out of a Dream

The Sleeping Gypsy, 1897 (oil on canvas)

Museum of Modern Art, New York

'There are some who can live without wild things and some who can't.'
                                                  Aldo Leopold, American nature conservationist

Henri Julien Rousseau, a Post-Impressionist painter, was largely self-taught and did not paint full time until he was 49 years of age.  The jungle is featured in many of his works, however he never actually set foot in one, taking his inspiration from the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and illustrations he found in books. Often described as poetic, The Sleeping Gypsy is one of his most recognizable works and conveys a remarkable sense of serenity.