The article examines the history and critical reception of Henri Rousseau's 1897 painting *The Sleeping Gypsy*. It details the painting's creation, its initial exhibition at the Société des Artistes Indépendants, and its subsequent journey through the art market—from being lost and rediscovered at a coal dealer's to being sold by dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler and collected by John Quinn, before ultimately entering the collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The painting's story is central to understanding Rousseau's unique position in art history. As a self-taught "Sunday painter," his work was both mocked and championed by the Parisian avant-garde, including Picasso. The article argues that *The Sleeping Gypsy*, with its enigmatic, dreamlike quality and flat, stylized forms, exemplifies Rousseau's distinctive vision, which challenged traditional academic standards and helped bridge the gap between naive and modern art, securing his posthumous legacy.