Altered Book Inspired by Henri Rousseau

Henri Rousseau

• Most of his famous works involve the jungle and exotic animals…but he never saw any in person because he never left France!

• His inspiration came from illustrated books and the botanical gardens in Paris. These inspirations made him feel as if he were in a dream

• His work was criticized and underappreciated during his lifetime; critics said he painted like a child, but his work is actually quite sophisticated

The Sleeping Gypsy; Henri Rousseau; 1897; Post-Impressionism; Oil on Canvas

Self-Portrait; Henri Rousseau; 1890; Post-Impressionism; Oil on Canvas

Exotic Landscape; Henri Rousseau; 1908; Post-Impressionism; Oil on Canvas

Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprise!), Henri Rousseau, 1891

A Centennial of Independence, Henri Rousseau, 1892

War, Henri Rousseau, 1894

Tiger Hunt, Henri Rousseau, 1895

Altered Book• If you bring in your own book, you must have a signed permission slip

from your parents to alter it

• There must be a 3D element (something must come off the pages and toward the viewer)

• Make specific words or passages stand out! (Don’t cover ALL the words!)…THERE MUST BE TEXT SOMEWHERE!

• Your sculpture does not have to match with your book (you can sculpt a scene from “Where the Wild Things Are” inside a totally different book, like “Alice in Wonderland”)– Just make sure that your scene is consistent, so if the text doesn’t match your

scene, find a way to creatively cover it or incorporate it!

Example

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My Example

My Example

My Example

Again…• If you bring in your own book, you must have a signed permission slip

from your parents to alter it

• There must be a 3D element (something must come off the pages and toward the viewer)

• Make specific words or passages stand out! (Don’t cover ALL the words!)…THERE MUST BE TEXT SOMEWHERE!

• Your sculpture does not have to match with your book (you can sculpt a scene from “Where the Wild Things Are” inside a totally different book, like “Alice in Wonderland”)– Just make sure that your scene is consistent, so if the text doesn’t match your

scene, find a way to creatively cover it or incorporate it!