French Realism

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    French Realism

    French Realism is a artistic and literary movement that sought to portray life as it actually was in the mid-19th century. It focused on ordinary people and topic of ordinary life, especially among the working class. The goal was objectivity and authenticity.
  • Jean Desire Gustave Courbet,1849,The Stone Breakers,oil on canvas,1.5m x 2.6 m, Gemaldeglarie Alte Meister, Dresden

    The context of the painting is the nature of working-class life in the mid 1800s.The painting reveals the reality of common laborers engaged in rigorous labor. The characteristic of art during the period of Realism include the portrayal of life with unglamorized authenticity.
  • Jean-Francois Millet,The Gleaners,1857,oil on canvas,83.8 cm x 111.8 cm,Musee d'Orsay,Paris

    The context of this painting is social commentary on the struggles of the rural poor class in 19-century France. The painting highlighted the difference the poor class and wealthier middle and upper classes, after the 1848 revolution.