Rousseau in the Jungle Part of Art and Ecology While the other paintings in these lessons record actual locations, Rousseau imagined Tropical Forest with Monkeys from trips to botanical gardens, zoos, and illustrations in books. Students will conduct research and imagine themselves in a place other than where they live. They also will investigate the macaque monkey to compare to Rousseau’s depictions. Henri Rousseau, Tropical Forest with Monkeys , 1910, oil on canvas, John Hay Whitney Collection