Copy painting hand-painted of the artwork
Fight Between a Tiger and a Buffalo (Rousseau)

With “Fight Between a Tiger and a Buffalo,” Henri Rousseau thrusts us into the heart of an exuberant and violent jungle, one of his favorite themes. The scene, of dramatic intensity, depicts a flamboyantly striped tiger attacking a dark buffalo. The composition is saturated with lush and meticulously detailed vegetation: large leaves, vines, oranges, and strange flowers create a setting that is both beautiful and oppressive. The Douanier, who never saw a jungle with his own eyes, draws on his imagination to create a fantasized ecosystem where the law of the strongest reigns. The naive style, with its simplified forms and bright colors, far from mitigating the violence of the scene, makes it more direct and almost dreamlike. This painting is a perfect illustration of the artist’s fascination with wild nature, perceived as a place of primordial beauty and perpetual struggle for survival.