Year 2's artwork inspired by Henri Rousseau

Year 2 have been inspired to create their own artwork in the style of Henri Rousseau, linking their creativity to their African topic work. As part of their learning, the children discovered that Rousseau is best known as a pioneer of Naïve Art. The self-taught French painter became famous for his vibrant, imaginative jungle scenes, filled with rich foliage, exotic animals and a dreamlike sense of wonder. Although his paintings depict lush tropical landscapes, Rousseau never actually travelled outside France. Instead, he drew inspiration from visits to Parisian botanical gardens, illustrated books and museum collections, using these sources to create his remarkable artistic visions.

The pupils thoroughly enjoyed exploring Rousseau’s distinctive style and techniques while creating their own jungle-inspired masterpieces. Using chalk and oil pastels, they carefully blended colours and experimented with different textures to bring their artwork to life. Each child selected an animal of their choice and cleverly concealed it within the dense jungle vegetation, just as Rousseau often included hidden details in his paintings.

The finished pieces are full of colour, imagination and creativity, showcasing the children’s growing artistic skills and their understanding of Rousseau’s work. We are incredibly proud of the effort and enthusiasm Year 2 demonstrated throughout this project. Well done, Year 2, on producing such fantastic jungle artworks!