Foaling around

The Junier's horse is painted in Rousseau's characteristic Naive style, its spindly legs out of proportion with its body.

Who are these characters?

These are Henri Rousseau's neighbours, the Junier family, who ran a grocery near where the artist lived in Paris. Rousseau is sat to the right, wearing a straw hat!

A very good boy

Rousseau often populated his scenes with exotic animals, rather than family pets, so the inclusion of the Junier's dogs makes this painting a rare, touching portrait of his real-life friends.

All askew

Henri Rousseau, who'd never had any formal training, was a Naive artist. This can be seen in his flat, seemingly childlike style and, here, in his disregard for 'correct' proportions.

Leafy green

Best known for his lush jungle scenes, Rousseau paid special attention to foliage, sometimes using more than 50 shades of green!