The Tabby

Rousseau's best-known paintings depict jungle scenes, even though he never left France or saw a real jungle. His admirers spread rumors that part of his army service included involvement in the French expeditionary force to Mexico. However, these rumors are all baseless. His inspiration came from illustrated books, the botanical gardens in Paris, and a tableaux of taxidermy wild animals. During his term of service, he met with and listened to the stories of soldiers who had survived the French expedition to Mexico. He described his frequent visits to the Jardin des Plantes, to the critic Arsène Alexandre : "When I go into the glass houses and I see the strange plants of exotic lands, it seems to me that I enter into a dream." Along with his exotic scenes, there was a concurrent output of smaller topographical images of the city and its suburbs. Well, I was told that today on International Cat Day. So, enjoy the cat :)