Realism

• 1840s - 1880s
• Realists believe that only what they can see and experience is worthy subject matter
• Subjects had to be treated as natural and realistic as possible
• ==Main Criticism:== Did not understand the progressive realist philosophy that glorified the working class. They believed it lacked spirit and was therefore not art.
• ^^Subjects^^:
  • Real and existing scenes from everyday life
  • Represented truthfully (joyful scenes and harsh realities)
  • Rejection of religion, mythology, idealism, and social criticism (one exception)
• ^^Artists^^:
  • %%Courbet%%
  • “I can’t paint angels, because I haven’t seen any”
  • Received negatively by critics, remained undeterred
  • The Stonebreakers, A Burial At Ornans
  • Believes painting should only consist of objects that the painter can see and touch
  • %%Rosa Bonheur%%
  • Female painter that dressed as a man with short hair (avoid harassment)
  • Worked in sculpture and painting
  • Loved painting animals (positive painting & brought her fame)
  • Used to dissect horses at slaughterhouses for anatomy
  • The Horse Fair, Ploughing in the Nivernals
  • %%Daumier%%
  • Used the grid method to enlarge his sketches onto canvases
    • As seen in The Third Class Carriage due to thin washes of muted color
  • Depicts socio-economic changes
  • Was also a well-known social caricaturist in the newspapers (criticizing King Louis Philip, judges, and lawyers)
  • Was jailed for 6 months
  • %%Millet%%
  • Inspired by Courbet
    • Initially received negatively by critics
    • Later gained popularity
    • Conservative style/technique
    • Commonly painted sowing seed, harvestings, plowing, and gleaning
    • The Gleaners depicts realism from its color, form, and simplicity (simple dignity) from its strong light and deep shadows
  • %%Homer%%
  • Known for painting like a picture
  • Homer had to record the civil war by sketching for a magazine (a very dangerous job)
    • More than 800 drawings
  • His career began by making wood engravings in Harper's Weekly magazine
  • At the time, watercolor was used as preliminary studies/sketches for oil paintings (Homer was very interested in this medium)

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