Gustave Courbet

Gustave Courbet was born in 1819 in Ornans, France, and became the leading figure of the Realist movement. He rejected idealized subjects and academic traditions in favor of direct, unembellished depictions of everyday life. Courbet believed art should reflect the reality of its time, focusing on ordinary people, labor, and rural scenes. His paintings often challenged social and artistic conventions.

Courbet’s bold approach and large-scale treatment of common subjects provoked strong reactions from critics and institutions. He was also politically active and openly defiant of authority, which affected his career and reputation. Beyond painting, Courbet played a role in shaping debates about the social role of art. In his later years, he lived in exile in Switzerland. Gustave Courbet died in 1877. His commitment to realism laid important groundwork for modern artistic movements.