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Where did Henri Rousseau study plants for his jungle paintings?
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Henri Rousseau
Myself: Portrait-Landscape, oil on canvas by Henri Rousseau, 1890; in the National Gallery, Prague. 146 × 113 cm.
Contrary to the popular misconception that he traveled abroad, Henri Rousseau never left France. While his vivid jungle scenes were initially inspired by the recollections of soldiers who had served in Mexico, his detailed depictions of exotic flora were likely based on plants he studied at the botanical garden in Paris. Additionally, the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris, which featured reconstructions of various landscapes, likely provided further inspiration for the exoticism found in his later work.1