Realism art

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.
“THE GLEANERS” by JEAN-FRANÇOIS MILLET (1857)

One of the most well known of Millet’s paintings is The Gleaners (1857). While Millet was walking the
fields around Barbizon, one theme returned to his pencil and brush for seven years—gleaning—the
centuries-old right of poor women and children to remove the bits of grain left in the fields following the
harvest. He found the theme an eternal one, linked to stories from the Old Testament. In 1857, he
submitted the painting The Gleaners to the Salon to an unenthusiastic, even hostile, public.

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 realistic artists

 GUSTAVE COURBET

 JEAN-FRANÇOIS MILLET

 HONORÉ DAUMIER

 ROSA BONHEUR

 ÉDOUARD MANET
GUSTAVE COURBET

 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.”

“THE STONE BREAKERS” (1849)

JEAN-FRANÇOIS MILLET

 Like 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.

“MAN WITH A HOE” (ca. 1860-1862)

HONORÉ DAUMIER

 Honoré Daumier was 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
showcases subjective and exaggerated undertones. Nevertheless, his oeuvre offers an eye-
opening glimpse into the nitty-gritty of life in 19th century France.

“THE THIRD-CLASS CARRIAGE” (ca. 1862-1864)

ROSA BONHEUR

 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.

“PLOUGHING IN NEVERS” (1849)

ÉDOUARD MANET

 Though often studied in the context of Impressionism, 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, thats is, in such a way that its make the same impression on
the viewer as it does on you.”

“THE OLD MUSICIAN” (1862)

 REPORT IN ART
APPRECIATIATION

“REALISM ART”

SUBMITTED BY:
GANTALAO, JUN MARK B.

SUBMITTED TO:
MRS. MEDEZ