Henri Rousseau – The Representatives of Foreign Powers Coming to Greet the Republic as a Sign of Peace

The Representatives of Foreign Powers Coming to Greet the Republic as a Sign of Peace is a painting by Henri Rousseau, oil on canvas, signed and dated 1907 by the painter at the lower right. The original is published as 130 cm high and 161 cm wide and is held by the Musée Picasso in Paris under inventory number RF 1973-91. What you see: a crowd of men in frock coats and uniforms on a red-draped stand under a great red awning hung with flags, each holding a green sprig, a lion at their feet, and at the right a festive square with a monument.

The Representatives of Foreign Powers Coming to Greet the Republic as a Sign of Peace

What is on the canvas?

The canvas is wider than it is high. The sky is blue, with pale cloud at the right. From the upper left a large dark red awning edged in gold slopes down over the scene, carried on gilt poles, with a row of flags in many colours along its upper edge. Beneath it, on a dark red stand, a large group of men stands in rows facing out: several in black frock coats with white shirts and white gloves, others in uniform with gold epaulettes in ochre, dark blue and red, one in a red robe with a tall dark cap, one bare-chested in a red wrap, one in a red, white and blue striped robe with a white headdress. Nearly all of them hold a small green sprig. At the left a figure in a red robe and red cap, with long fair hair, reaches out an arm and holds a sprig above the group. A tawny lion lies at the lower left in front of the stand, and red steps descend at the centre right. At the right a square opens: rows of tall buildings hung with flags, a monument on a pedestal behind an iron railing, and many small figures walking with sprigs in their hands. The signature and date, Henri J. Rousseau 1907, are at the lower right. Another large group posed to face the viewer is The Wedding Party.

What is written on the posts and the shield?

The four dark posts along the front edge, each topped with a green sprig, carry gold lettering that is fully legible: PAIX, TRAVAIL, LIBERTÉ, FRATERNITÉ, that is, peace, work, liberty, fraternity. On the pale blue, gold-edged shield at the left the lettering is partly hidden by the red robe; what shows reads UNIO, then ES, then PEUPLE and S. We do not fill in what lies under the robe; we report what can actually be seen. We name none of the men on the stand and give none of them a country, a rank or an office, and we name no flag either, because one misread flag would attach to the scene a country that no source we could read names.

Where is the original, and why is there no link to it?

The work is listed as held by the Musée Picasso in Paris, inventory number RF 1973-91. We found these details, and the size, in the Wikidata entry, which ties the inventory number to the Musée Picasso. We could not check them on the museum’s own site: its online collection lists 81 selected works and this painting is not among them, so there is no museum page we could read. We therefore give no link, and say so here, rather than link a page we have not read. The year is on the canvas itself, beside the signature. Another public celebration by Rousseau is A Centennial of Independence.

How large is the original, and what does that mean on a wall?

The published dimensions of the original are 130 cm high and 161 cm wide. Ten sizes are available: 66 x 55, 75 x 58, 80 x 63, 90 x 71, 95 x 75, 100 x 81, 110 x 85, 115 x 90, 125 x 98 and 135 x 105 cm. Even the largest is smaller than the original, so every size reduces the crowd; the nearest to the original’s proportion is 100 x 81 cm. Because the canvas is full of faces and small gold lettering, a larger size pays off: at 125 x 98 or 135 x 105 cm the words on the posts stay legible from across a room. Custom sizes are ordered through the made-to-order painting page. Another group of men in uniform is Artillerymen.

How is a hand-painted reproduction made?

We paint your canvas painting by hand in oils after you order it, at the size you choose. From a high-resolution image of the original, the painter lays in the sky and the red awning first, then the flags and the houses on the square, then the crowd, face by face, and letters the posts in gold last. A hand-painted canvas always differs slightly from the next, and that difference is exactly what a print cannot give you. It is stretched on a wooden frame, ready to hang. The opposite of this celebration, from the same hand, is La Guerre, and the whole collection is in the Henri Rousseau gallery.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the original kept?

At the Musée Picasso in Paris, inventory number RF 1973-91, as published; we could not read the museum’s own page, so we do not link it.

When was it painted?

In 1907: Rousseau signed and dated the canvas at the lower right, Henri J. Rousseau 1907.

Who are the men on the stand?

Nothing we could read names them. We describe them by their clothes and bearing and give them no names, countries or offices.

Is this a print?

No. It is painted by hand in oils, and the layers of paint can be seen and felt.

Is the painting suitable as a gift?

Yes, especially for someone who likes history and lively scenes: the canvas is full of colour, flags and faces. If you would rather the recipient chose, there is a gift voucher.

• Subject: a crowd of men in frock coats and uniforms under a red awning hung with flags, with green sprigs, a lion and a festive square.
• Original: oil on canvas, 130 x 161 cm (height x width, as published), Musée Picasso, Paris, inv. RF 1973-91; 1907.
• Our version: hand-painted oil, ten sizes from 66 x 55 to 135 x 105 cm, or a size made to order.
• Of note: the museum’s own page could not be read from here, so this page names the museum and inventory as published and carries no link.