Tiger in a Tropical Storm
First of Rousseau's jungle paintings, exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Henri Rousseau’s *Tiger in a Tropical Storm*, also called *Surprised!*, is an oil painting from 1891. It marks the first of the jungle scenes that made him famous. The canvas shows a tiger caught in a flash of lightning, about to leap at its prey as a fierce wind whips through the storm.
Rousseau could not get a painting accepted by the Académie des Beaux-Arts jury, so he showed *Tiger in a Tropical Storm* in 1891 at the Salon des Indépendants—an unjuried exhibition open to everyone—under the title *Surpris!* The response was mixed. Rousseau came to painting late: his earliest known work, *Landscape with a Windmill*, dates from when he was 35. His style has a naive surface that hides real technical skill. Most critics dismissed his work as childish, but the young Swiss painter Félix Vallotton—later a key figure in modern woodcut—called it a “must-see,” saying it was “the alpha and omega of painting” and so unsettling that it made even firm convictions waver.
The tiger’s pose comes from a motif used by Eugène Delacroix. Rousseau or his admirers claimed he had lived in the jungle while serving as a regimental bandsman in Mexico in 1860. In truth, he never left France. His inspiration likely came from Paris’s botanical gardens, like the Jardin des Plantes (which had taxidermy animals in its zoological galleries), and from prints and books. The French public at the end of the century was fascinated by exotic, dangerous subjects—the supposed savagery of animals and far-off peoples. Tigers on the hunt had been featured in an 1885 exhibition at the École des Beaux-Arts. Emmanuel Frémiet’s famous 1887 sculpture of a gorilla carrying a woman was far more savage than anything in Rousseau’s work, yet it was accepted as art. Rousseau’s poor early reception seems due to his style, not his subject.
The tiger’s prey stays outside the frame, so viewers must imagine the outcome. Rousseau’s original title *Surprised!* suggests the tiger has the advantage. He later said the tiger was about to pounce on a group of explorers. Though they look simple, Rousseau built his jungle paintings in careful layers, using many shades of green to create a lush, dense feel. He invented his own method for the rain: trailing strands of silver paint diagonally across the canvas, a technique inspired by the satin-like finishes of William-Adolphe Bouguereau’s work.
*Tiger in a Tropical Storm*
- Artist
- Henri Rousseau
- Year
- 1891
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Movement
- Naïve art / Post-Impressionism
- Location
- National Gallery, London (acquired 1972)
- Subject
- Tiger in a storm
Lore & Background
Unable to have a painting accepted by the jury of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, Rousseau exhibited Tiger in a Tropical Storm in 1891 under the title Surpris! at the Salon des Indépendants, which was unjuried and open to all artists. The painting received mixed reviews. Rousseau had been a late developer: his first known work, Landscape with a Windmill, was not produced until he was 35, and his work is marked by a naïveté of composition that belies its technical complexity. Most critics mocked Rousseau's work as childish, but Félix Vallotton, a young Swiss painter, said of it: 'His tiger surprising its prey is a must-see; it's the alpha and omega of painting and so disconcerting that, before so much competency and childish naïveté, the most deeply rooted convictions are held up and questioned.'
Reader's Guide
The scared tiger in Rousseau's painting is derived from a motif found in the drawings and paintings of Eugène Delacroix. It was claimed, either by Rousseau himself or by his friends and admirers, that he had experienced life in the jungle during his time in Mexico in 1860, where he had served as a regimental bandsman. In fact he never left France, and it is thought that his inspiration came from the botanical gardens of Paris, such as the Jardin des Plantes, and from prints and books. The fin de siècle French populace was captivated by exotic and dangerous subjects. Tigers on the prowl had been the subject of an exhibition at the 1885 École des Beaux-Arts. Emmanuel Frémiet's famous sculpture of 1887 depicting a gorilla carrying a woman exuded more savagery than anything in Rousseau's canvases, yet was found acceptable as art; Rousseau's poor immediate reception therefore seems the result of his style and not his subject matter. The tiger's prey is beyond the edge of the canvas, so it is left to the imagination of the viewer to decide what the outcome will be, although Rousseau's original title Surprised! suggests the tiger has the upper hand. Rousseau later stated that the tiger was about to pounce on a group of explorers. Despite their apparent simplicity, Rousseau's jungle paintings were built up meticulously in layers, using a large number of green shades to capture the lush exuberance of the jungle. He also devised his own method for depicting the lashing rain by trailing strands of silver paint diagonally across the canvas, a technique inspired by the satin-like finishes of the paintings of William-Adolphe Bouguereau.
Did You Know?
- Rousseau never left France; his jungle inspiration came from Paris's Jardin des Plantes and printed sources.
- The painting was originally titled Surpris! when exhibited at the unjuried Salon des Indépendants in 1891.
- Rousseau did not return to the jungle theme for another seven years, with Struggle for Life (now lost) in 1898.
- The painting was purchased by the National Gallery, London in 1972 with a contribution from Walter Annenberg.
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