About this artwork
According to his close friend, artist Robert Delaunay, all of Rousseau’s drawings were destroyed after his death. However, as the inscription indicates, this rare drawing was a gift from the artist to a certain “Mademoiselle Herminie,” and it survived as a result. Rousseau often used flowers in his work for their symbolic meanings. He was particularly fond of daisies, which traditionally represent innocence and purity. Perhaps a more heartfelt message was intended here, as the petals of daisies are often plucked, one by one, to find out if one is loved: “she loves me, she loves me not.”
-
Status
- Currently Off View
-
Department
- Prints and Drawings
-
Artist
- Henri Rousseau
-
Title
- Oak Branch
-
Place
- France (Artist's nationality:)
-
Date
- Made 1907–1908
-
Medium
- Pen and gray ink on cream wove paper
-
Inscriptions
- Inscribed recto, lower center, in pen and black ink: "Pour Mlle. Herminie/Sincère amitié H. Rousseau"
-
Dimensions
- 15.9 × 10.9 cm (6 5/16 × 4 5/16 in.)
-
Credit Line
- Gift of Dorothy Braude Edinburg to the Harry B. and Bessie K. Braude Memorial Collection
-
Reference Number
- 2013.1019
-
IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/186406/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
