The Snake Charmer
The artist
Henri Rousseau, a French painter who taught himself art and dreamed up lush, imaginary jungles.
What you see
In a moonlit jungle a calm figure plays a flute while friendly snakes glide out from the dark green leaves to listen.
The story
Rousseau painted this magical scene in 1907, imagining a faraway land he had actually never visited.
The style
He painted every leaf with careful, flat detail, giving the jungle a dreamy, storybook feeling rather than a realistic one.
Look closer
Look for the pink bird resting on the left and the silver moon glowing softly above the still water.
Where to see it
The painting hangs in the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, France, among many other famous works.
Fun fact
Rousseau said he found his jungle ideas in the plant greenhouses of Paris and in picture books, not on real trips.