The Repast of the Lion by Henri Rousseau (Interpretation and Analysis)

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The Repast of the Lion
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Today is my birthday, and, in honor of the event, I wanted to share a painting that relates to my astrological sign: Leo. Leos are generally renowned for stability, loyalty, and consistency, and are represented by the lion. As such, I wanted to take some time today to chat about The Repast of the Lion, one of Henri Rousseau’s many masterpieces.

Rousseau is an interesting figure in the history of French painting. He was a naïve artist, meaning that he didn’t have formal artistic training. Although Rousseau’s work was not widely recognized during his lifetime, artists like Pablo Picasso realized the true value of his art. Today, Rousseau is known as one of the pioneering artists of the Modernist movements. The Repast of the Lion is one of his famous jungle paintings, based off of his visits to the botanical gardens of Paris and contemporary illustrations of wild animals.

The piece depicts a forest brimming with strange and oversized tropical plants. While the forest itself is the first thing the viewer notices, the central figure is a lion, who crouches—nearly concealed by the vegetation—over his kill. He devours the body of some spotted creature as blood streams from the carcass. While the painting definitely represents a jungle, it is, at its core, a psychological landscape. Like many of Rousseau’s paintings, the piece depicts the dreamscape of the unconscious mind, symbolizing the shadowy and unknowable topography of subconscious thought.

Personally, I enjoy this painting because it’s just so strange (if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ve probably realized that I enjoy strange paintings). The disproportionately tiny lion devouring his kill seems both out of place and balanced among the massive vegetation. The strange compositional choices create a sense of disquiet and mystery to an otherwise bizarre and incomprehensible painting.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.

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