Gustave Courbet (1819–1877) is considered to have introduced the practice of socially engaged painting, and he is viewed as one of the most important repre­sentatives of Realism. The direct and honest depic­tions of this artistic tendency—which ascribed to representing things as they are—challenged the ide­alized subject matter of academic painting and scan­dalized the Parisian society of the nineteenth century. Courbet became a leading figure of the rebellious ar­tistic bohème and cultivated a lively exchange with the predominant poets and artists of his era. Howev­er, he was not merely an anti-establishment provoca­teur; he significantly revolutionized landscape paint­ing. With seven essays this volume offers an introduc­tion to selected aspects of the artist's life and work. His paintings will also inspire even those who may not be well versed in the world of art. Courbet's in­credibly rich oeuvre and his exciting biography make him an artist worth discovering, again and again.

GUSTAVE COURBET (1819–1877) is considered to have introduced the practice of socially engaged painting, and he is viewed as one of the most important representatives of Realism. The direct and honest depictions of this artistic tendency—which ascribed to representing things as they are—challenged the idealized subject matter of academic painting and scandalized the Parisian society of the nineteenth century. Courbet became a leading figure of the rebellious artistic bohème and cultivated a lively exchange with the predominant poets and artists of his era. However, he was not merely an anti-establishment provocateur; he significantly revolutionized landscape painting.



Cover

Table of Contents

Prologue The Hammock

Ornans – Flagey

Industrialization in the Countryside Remarks on The Stonebreakers and The Wheat Sifters

Eugène Delacroix Sees The Painter's Studio

With Knife and Thumb

Origine du monde – Origine de la peinture

Epilogue

Notes

Biography

Recommended Reading and Viewing

Literature

Acknowledgments

Colophon

Backcover