One of my favorite works of art is The Sleeping Gypsy by Henri Rousseau painted in 1897 using oil on canvas. This piece struck me as I was walking through the MoMA. When I first saw it I cried instantly, the colors are so rich and deep. Visually this piece pulled me in, but once I began researching the artist is when I truly fell in love with the story behind it. Rousseau decided to pursue art as his career in his forties and later inspired artists such as Frida Kahlo and Picasso. Even though he never achieved the style he hoped to, his work still became well known. For his courage he inspirers me to create, and that is what this piece brought to my attention.
