LZ

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)