Rousseau, in a letter, describes this painting: “a mandolin player lies with her jar beside her (a vase with drinking water), overcome by fatigue in a deep sleep. A lion chances to pass by, picks up her scent yet does not devour her. There is a moonlight effect, very poetic. The scene is set in a completely arid desert.”In pleasant dreams, our tastes in beauty are very simple: bright colors, exciting animals, and good feelings. Rousseau has assembled all these elements in a cohesive, albeit fantastic, scene: the gypsy is painted with blacks, pinks, oranges, and blues. Her face and her light hold on the walking stick in her hand encourage contentment and calm. And the lion seems anything but menacing: in fact, he looks more like a doll or an image (critics have noted that his eye looks glass).
Rousseau’s effect is indeed poetic, fantastical, ethereal. Not only has he depicted a dreaming figure: he has also shown us a dream.
