Homage to Henri Rousseau

I never had much regard for the paintings of Henri Rousseau (1844 - 1910) until I discovered he really didn't hit his straps as an artist until he became a retired civil servant.  For some reason, my estimation of his work sky-rocketed.  The art critic Robert Rosenblum refers to the free wheeling independence in Rousseau's work and the flattening of shapes and colours that place him in the realm of the post impressionists.  "Like the art of an inspired child, everything seems freshly invented, its imaginative leaps convincing". ROSENBLUM  
Apparently, Rousseau's work inspired Picasso when he was teetering on the brink of cubism.

Temple Of  The Winds                Oil on Canvas

When I visit the Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, some of the more exotic plants remind me of Rousseau's inventiveness.