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Art Inquiry: Tropical Forest with Monkeys
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Henri Rousseau, Tropical Forest with Monkeys (1910)
Henri Rousseau never visited a tropical rain forest. He created his scene from pictures he saw in books and on trips to the botanical gardens and zoo in Paris, where he lived.

Learn more about this work of art by answering the multiple-choice questions below. Mouse over the image for clues!

1. This rainforest is an imaginary one. If it was real, where in the world might it be located?

  1. Near the equator
  2. Near the north pole
  3. Near the south pole
  4. Near the prime meridian

2. The artist never visited a tropical forest. In 1910, where did he get inspiration for his painting?

  1. The Discovery Channel
  2. Field trips to the botanical gardens and zoos
  3. The internet
  4. None of the above

3. What are the large, white flowers?

  1. Roses
  2. Palms
  3. Lotuses
  4. Daisies

4. The artist used his imagination to make the trees. They are a certain type of houseplant, but made many times bigger. Which type of houseplant are they?

  1. Catnip
  2. Ferns
  3. Roses
  4. None of the above

5. The brown macaque monkeys hanging in the trees have something that real brown macaque monkeys do not. What is it?

  1. Black faces
  2. Arms
  3. Tails
  4. There are no such things as macaque monkeys.

6. What are the monkeys in the front doing?

  1. Reading
  2. Eating
  3. Fishing
  4. Climbing

7. In addition to the monkeys, what other kind of animal can you find in the painting?

  1. Parrot
  2. Jaguar
  3. Snake
  4. There are no other animals in the painting.

8. What are some of the resources that the rainforest provides?

  1. Cola (as in coca-cola)
  2. Gum (as in chewing gum)
  3. Medicine
  4. All of the above
 
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Henri Rousseau, Tropical Forest with Monkeys, 1910, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, John Hay Whitney Collection