LE PARC DE ROCHEMONT 1862

GUSTAVE COURBET
What is Realism?
Realism emerged in France in the 1850s. On the heels of the 1848
Revolution—an event that established the “right to work” in the
country—the movement introduced the idea of average, working-class
people, contemporary settings, and day-to-day scenes as worthy artistic
subjects.
What is Realism?
Realism emerged in France in the 1850s. On the heels of the 1848
Revolution—an event that established the “right to work” in the
country—the movement introduced the idea of average, working-class
people, contemporary settings, and day-to-day scenes as worthy artistic
subjects.

Artists working in the Realist style rejected the standards of

Romanticism (1800-1850), a genre defined by a heightened sense of
emotion. Typically, Romantic paintings feature either mythological
figures or sublime scenes of nature. In either case, it glorifies its
subjects—a trait that Realist artists directly dismissed.
Important Realist Artists
Important Realist Artists
Gustave Courbet is often considered the leading figure of Realism. He
laid the groundwork for the movement in the 1840s when he began portraying
peasants and laborers on a grand scale typically reserved for religious,
historical, or allegorical subjects.

Prior to Courbet's radical emergence, painters did not depict scenes as they
saw them; instead, they idealized them, virtually erasing any flaws or
imperfections. To Courbet, this approach was detrimental to painting, as it
eliminated any sense of individuality. “It is society at its best, its worst, its
average,” he said of his practice. “In short, it's my way of seeing society with
all its interests and passions. It's the whole world coming to me to be painted.”

Gustave Courbet, (born June 10, 1819, Ornans, France—died December

31, 1877, La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland), French painter and leader of
the Realist movement.
“The Stone Breakers” (1849)
Gustave Courbet
Jean-François Millet also opted to feature working-class people
in his paintings. As he was based in rural France, he repeatedly returned to
farmers as his subject-of-choice. “Peasant subjects suit my nature best,” he
said, “for I must confess . . . that the human side is what touches me most in
art.”

In addition to being a premier Realist painter, Millet is also known for his role
in founding the Barbizon School—a group of artists who came together to
challenge the dominance of Romanticism.

Jean-François Millet, (born October 4, 1814, Gruchy, near Gréville, France

—died January 20, 1875, Barbizon), French painter renowned for his
peasant subjects.
“Man with a Hoe” (ca. 1860-1862)
Jean-François Millet
Honoré Daumier was a painter, printmaker, sculptor, and
caricaturist who used his talents to boldly comment on the politics of
contemporary France.
Unlike the work of Courbet and Millet, Daumier's art—namely, his
political cartoons—often showcase subjective and exaggerated
undertones. Nevertheless, his oeuvre offers an eye-opening glimpse into
the nitty-gritty of life in 19th-century France.

Honoré Daumier, in full Honoré-Victorin Daumier, (born February

20/26, 1808, Marseille, France—died February 11, 1879, Valmondois),
prolific French caricaturist, painter, and sculptor especially renowned
for his cartoons and drawings satirizing 19th-century French politics
and society.
“The Third-Class Carriage” (ca. 1862-1864)
Honoré Daumier
Rosa Bonheur specialized in animal depictions. Given this interest,
many of her paintings are set in farms, fields, and other countryside settings.

Today, Bonheur is often considered the most prolific female painter of the 19th
century. One of her most well-known paintings, Ploughing in the Nivernais, won
first prize at the French Salon of 1848 and has since been praised as a key piece
of the Realist movement.

Rosa Bonheur, original name Marie-Rosalie Bonheur, (born March 16, 1822,
Bordeaux, France—died May 25, 1899, Château de By, near Fontainebleau),
French painter and sculptor famed for the remarkable accuracy and detail
of her pictures featuring animals.
“Ploughing in Nevers” (1849)
Rosa Bonheur
Édouard Manet also played a pivotal role in Realism. In fact, the
painter acted as a bridge between the movements, inspiring the
Impressionist interest in capturing “impressions” of everyday life.

“When you look at it,” he remarked about his ordinary subject matter,
“and above all, when you see how to render it as you see it, that is, in such a
way that it makes the same impression on the viewer as it does on you.”

Édouard Manet, (born January 23, 1832, Paris, France—died April 30,
1883, Paris), French painter who broke new ground by defying traditional
techniques of representation and by choosing subjects from the events and
circumstances of his own time.
“The Old Musician” (1862)
Édouard Manet
Influence
As a result of Realism's success in Europe, American artists adopted the approach shortly after its
emergence. Its influence is particularly evident in Thomas Eakins' unidealized portraits, Edward Hopper‘s
revealing studies of modern city life, and James Abbott McNeill Whistler‘s body of “art for art's sake.”

Additionally, Realism directly inspired prominent contemporary art movements, including Photorealism
and Hyperrealism. Building on Realism's remarkably modern focus, these genres demonstrate the
enduring and evolving legacy of the groundbreaking movement.
John's Diner with John's Chevelle, 2007
Hyperrealistic art
- Emel Espiritu