HENRI EMILIEN ROUSSEAU (FRENCH, 1875–1933)

The Hawking Party
Signed and dated Henri Rousseau 28 (lower right)
Oil on canvas
54cm x 73cm

Henri Emilien Rousseau, trained at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, frequently returned to his North African roots starting in 1901, with significant visits between 1920 and 1932. During this period, Rousseau refined his distinctive style characterized by dynamic and energetic brushwork, a reflection of his early career as an illustrator in Cairo. Unlike many Orientalist painters who depicted imagined scenes, Rousseau immersed himself in the culture, befriending tribal leaders and observing lion hunts, falconry, and Arabian horses. These experiences granted him access to regions often restricted to outsiders.

The Hawking Party, created in 1928, followed Rousseau’s acclaimed exhibition at the Galerie Georges Petit in Paris, where over eighty of his Moroccan-themed works were showcased. This painting focuses on falconry, one of the artist’s favored subjects, which he explored repeatedly in his work. Falconry, deeply intertwined with North African traditions, held both regal and symbolic importance. Historically considered a symbol of prestige, falconry required substantial resources, making it a pursuit of the elite. In this piece, Rousseau vividly captures a group of horsemen amidst the vibrant tones of the desert landscape, illustrating the grandeur and tradition of this noble pastime, often referred to as the “sport of kings.”