Gustave Courbet & Realism
Gustave Courbet was a French artist of the 19th century, who is often considered to be the “father” of the realism movement (Sewell, 2021), At the time, the arts had been primarily dominated by Romanticism, by artists such as Eugene Delacroix; who focused primarily on colorful and emotional scenes on a grand scale, frequently inspired by historical, religious, or mythological figures.
Fig. 1 || Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix, 1830, via The Louvre, Paris
However, unlike many of his contemporaries, Courbet preferred to draw his inspiration primarily from his own life and time, rather than a romantic or idealized past. Courbet believed that it was impossible for modern artists to be able to truly capture these moments of ancient history, because in his own words: “An epoch can only be reproduced by it’s own artists, [and] by the artists who lived in it.” (Sewell, 2021)
Courbet’s influences included Netherlands artists such as Johannes Vermeer, who similarly painted ordinary people in their day-to-day lives, often emulating more realistic lighting and colors, without necessarily trying to “beautify” his subjects.
Fig. 2 || The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer
Rather than seeing art as a means to glorify those already in power, Courbet saw art as a way to connect with the common people. By depicting the harsh reality often suffered by those in poverty, Courbet hoped to draw more attention to these issues, and hopefully inspire a movement for change. To draw attention to these more realistic depictions, instead of soft light and vivid colors used by the romanticists, Courbet’s works were often characterized by harsh lighting, muted colors, and dramatic shadows.
Fig. 3 || Gustave Courbet, The Desperate Man
Instead of nobles and kings, Courbet frequently painted portraits of his own friends and family, as well as other people seen in his day-to-day life, such as the day laborers in The Stonebreakers, or in Young Women from the Village – where the three figures in question, frequently mocked for their “ridiculous” and “tasteless” appearance - had been modeled from the artist’s sisters (The Met).
Fig 4 || Young Women from the Village, Gustave Courbet
One of Courbet’s other well-known works was that of Jo, La Belle Irlandaise – or, “The Beautiful Irishwoman”, or “Portrait of Jo”. Dated between 1866 and 1868, Courbet paints his model Joanne Hiffernan - shown running her hand through a mane of curly red hair, as she gazes thoughtfully into a mirror.
Fig. 5 || Jo, La Belle Irlandaise, Gustave Courbet
La Belle Irlandaise was actually one of a series of four near-identical paintings by Courbet – all depicting the same model in the same pose, with only minor differences. “Jo” also served as the model and mistress for American artist James McNeill Whistler, and was rumored to later have been in a relationship with Courbet as well. (Young, 2021).
Despite depicting the same model, Courbet and Whistler’s works are radically different.
Fig. 6 || The White Girl, James McNeill Whistler
In Whistler’s painting, Jo appears to be aloof, and distant, with more focus on the model’s clothing and surrounding objects than Jo herself. She stands stiff and posed, and noted in a retrospective by Kerry Dooley Young, Jo appears almost as “an object on display […] like the bear rug, like the white dress” (Young, 2020).
In contrast, Courbet’s version of Jo is close, and intimate. Courbet only paints above the woman’s shoulders, with a focus on her face and hands - as well as the and the rich color and texture of her hair.
Fig 7 || Comparison between Courbet's Jo (left) and Whistler's (right)
By drawing on his own perspective and his relationships, Courbet’s Jo feels much more alive. His painting not only lends a glimpse of what Jo may have actually looked like in life, but also invites the viewer to see through Courbet’s eyes, and how he may have seen her. Which may have been his goal, as Courbet embraced the Realism movement, in the following statement from 1855:
“I no longer wanted to imitate, [but] To be in a position to translate the customs, the ideas, the appearance of my time […] to be not only a painter, but a man as well; in short, to create living art – this is my goal.” (Young, 2020)
Fig. 8 || Gustave Courbet, Courbet with a Black Dog, 1942
Citations:
Fernier, R. 2021. Gustave Courbet. The Britannica.
Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gustave-Courbet (Accessed: November 28, 2021)
Gustave-Courbet. 2011.
Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gustave-Courbet (Accessed: November 28, 2021)
Gustave-Courbet. 2011.
Available at: https://www.gustave-courbet.com/ (Accessed: November 28, 2021)
The Met. 2008. Gustave Courbet.
The Met. 2008. Gustave Courbet.
Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2008/gustave-courbet (Accessed: November 28, 2021)
Sewell, J. 2021. Gustave Courbet: What Made Him The Father of Realism? The Collector.
Available at: https://www.thecollector.com/gustave-courbet-father-of-realism/ (Accessed: November 28, 2021)
Sewell, J. 2021. Gustave Courbet: What Made Him The Father of Realism? The Collector.
Available at: https://www.thecollector.com/gustave-courbet-father-of-realism/ (Accessed: November 28, 2021)
Young, K. 2020. Honoring the Everyday : Notes on Gustave Courbet.
Available at: https://dooleyyoung.medium.com/honoring-the-everyday-notes-on-gustave-courbet-deba6a49d413
Available at: https://dooleyyoung.medium.com/honoring-the-everyday-notes-on-gustave-courbet-deba6a49d413
Fig. 1 - Sewell, J. 2021. Gustave Courbet: What Made Him The Father of Realism? The Collector.
Available at: https://www.thecollector.com/gustave-courbet-father-of-realism/ (Accessed: November 28, 2021)
Fig. 2 - The Met. 2009. The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer.
Available at: https://www.thecollector.com/gustave-courbet-father-of-realism/ (Accessed: November 28, 2021)
Fig. 2 - The Met. 2009. The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer.
Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/The_Milkmaid_by_Johannes_Vermeer
Fig.3, 8 - Fiore, J. 2018. Probing Gustave Courbet’s Inner Thoughts in “The Desperate Man”. Artsy.
Available at: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-probing-gustave-courbets-inner-thoughts-the-desperate-man
Fig. 4 - The Met. No Date. Gustave Courbet: Young Ladies of the Village.
Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/438820
Fig. 5, 6, 7 - Young, K. 2020. Honoring the Everyday : Notes on Gustave Courbet.
Available at: https://dooleyyoung.medium.com/honoring-the-everyday-notes-on-gustave-courbet-deba6a49d413
Fig. 4 - The Met. No Date. Gustave Courbet: Young Ladies of the Village.
Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/438820
Fig. 5, 6, 7 - Young, K. 2020. Honoring the Everyday : Notes on Gustave Courbet.
Available at: https://dooleyyoung.medium.com/honoring-the-everyday-notes-on-gustave-courbet-deba6a49d413
