realism: direct observations

The artists of that time used to meet in France in a bar called temple de realism in the late 1840s.  Realism emerged in hard times and political difficulties. The painters of realism always wanted to achieve what they saw, their observation. They used to go on the site to paint and they used to use little zinc paint tubes which helped a lot to carry around, they used to call it the portable studio because they used to go everywhere and paint. They moved completely through the smooth style taken from neoclassicism this prepared for the style impressionism. After the third revolution took place and many people died on the streets and the artist used to show this in realism to show the real life they had back then. In the mid nineteenth century Courbet caused panic when he wanted to exhibit his work and they didn't let him because it was showing reality too much and was different from the art they seen before.

Jean-François Millet the gleaners:

1857 oil on canvas,83.5 x 111 cm 

The painting was done in the evening because there is the red evening glow. In this painting he is giving dignity to the women. Millet’s style shows beauty and the real life even though when life isn't that good. .

Gustav Courbet, The stone-breakers:  1851 oil on canvas  159 x 259 cm (lost in war )

The painting was made in his home town in Ornan. In this painting he is trying to the hard work of the people in the hot sun. Their clothes show that they are working hard because of their clothes because they are thorn and patched up clothes. The brush strokes on the painting seems to be with the dust of the road, he re defined his role in society by showing everyday life.

Bibliography:  The Stone Breakers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia. 2013. The Stone Breakers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stone_Breakers. [Accessed 03 March 2013]

The Gleaners - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2013. The Gleaners - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gleaners. [Accessed 03 March 2013].

konemann (1955). the story of painting from the renaissance to the present . german: detlev schaper. 6-128.