– the attempt to represent subject matter:

 truthfully;
 without artificiality; and
 avoiding artistic conventions
– it sought to portray real and typical contemporary
people and situation with truth and accuracy, and not
avoiding unpleasant or sordid aspects of life
 led by Gustave Courbet in France
 revolted against the exotic subject matter and the
exaggerated emotionalism and drama of the
Romantic movement
– artists noted for their precise and
careful depiction of visual
appearances, whose style is
characterized by the representation of
people or things as they actually are
 political issues and problems
 scenes of the working class, rural and urban life
 portraits dealing with the naked body
 works that were raw and natural -- as close to a
photograph as possible
 a particular plight in society by painting images
that were considered "ugly" or gritty
 Completely opposite of the soft look of
romantic impressionism, realist painters include
as much detail as possible in their work.
 Shadows, light reflecting off of surfaces, depth
perception and perspective need to be
considered carefully to create a work that looks
like a viewer could reach out and touch it.
For both still life and live compositions, this
meant capturing the subjects with complete
clarity.
 Traditional realism left little room for
interpretation when it came to creating the
form of the subject.
 Early adopters of the Realist style tended to
incorporate warmer hues and color palettes
in their works.
 For instance, "The Gleaners" by Jean-
Francois Millet or "The Execution of Lady Jane
Grey" by Paul Delaroche both had extensive
use of soft browns, warm reds, black and ivory
hues.
 Modern-day realists still use warm palettes,
but play more with cooler color combinations
to create startling effects. Lucian Freud's "The
Painter's Daughter" or David Hockney's "Mr.
and Mrs. Clark and Percy" are examples of
modern-day Realist paintings.
 As art continued to progress into the 19th century,
Realism began to change and develop different
subsets of Realistic work.
 The "Neue Sachlichkeit" or New Objectivity
movement had strong German political
characteristics with abstract overtones.
 Magic realism sought to depict real world
elements with fantasy or magical ideas in a natural
setting.
 Surrealism is another subset of the Realism
movement that was characterized by more dream-
like elements.
 While these categories of Realism had specific
themes both political and imaginative, they all
shared a commonality by representing a "reality"
that looked clear and realistic.
Lifespan: June 10, 1819 – December 31, 1877
Nationality: French
 Gustave Courbet was the undisputed leader of
Realism and the key figure responsible for the rise of
the movement.
 He rejected the predominant Romantic and
Neoclassical schools prevalent in Europe and instead
shocked the art world through bold images which
challenged the boundaries of what was acceptable.
 Called a genius, a “terrible socialist” and
a “savage” during his time, Gustave Courbet is now
considered one of the most important artists who not
only led a prominent movement but also widely
influenced future generation of artists.
Lifespan: July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967
Nationality: American
 He forced his viewer to play an active role in
completing the narrative of his artworks. This
was hugely influential for the art world.
 The most famous American realist painter,
Edward Hopper has been said to have
painted a more revealing portrait of
twentieth-century America than any other
artist. His masterpiece Nighthawks is one of
the most recognizable paintings in the
history of American art.
Lifespan: March 16, 1822 – May 25, 1899
Nationality: French
 Rosa Bonheur first displayed her art at a
salon in Paris at age 19 and she was soon
recognized as an important painter.
 Bonheur is best known for her painting of
animals which she created after extensive
scientific study of animal anatomy.
 Bonheur is not only the best known female
realist artist but also widely regarded as
the most famous female painter of the 19th
century.
Lifespan: July 12, 1917 – January 16, 2009
Nationality: American
 Andrew Wyeth maintained a realist painting style
for over seventy years. His favorite subjects were
the land and people around him with his solitary
walks being the primary means of inspiration for
his landscapes.
 His precise realistic views of rural life
became icons of American culture and
challenged the nature of modern art in the
nation.
 In 1963, Andrew Wyeth became the first painter
to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the
highest civilian award in the United States.
Lifespan: October 04, 1814 – January 20, 1875
Nationality: French
 Jean-Francois Millet was the most prominent
and influential figure of the Realism art
movement in France. He is best known for his
depiction of peasants in contemporary social
conditions.
 His works emphasized the hardships of the
task the peasants had to perform. On first
being exhibited, most of his paintings were
scorned by art critics and the public alike
for depicting rural poverty in a shockingly
honest manner.
Lifespan: August 5, 1844 – September 29, 1930
Nationality: Russian
 Ilya Repin was a member of Peredvizhniki,
also known as the Itinerants’ Society, which
were a group of Russian realist artists who
protested against academic restrictions and
were critical of the social environment in
Tsarist Russia.
 He is famous for capturing the peasant life in
his works, perhaps better than any other
artist in history.
 Ilya Repin was the most renowned Russian
artist of the 19th century.
Lifespan: February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910
Nationality: American
 Winslow Homer worked as a commercial
illustrator for around 20 years before he decided
to work exclusively as a painter.
 In the 1870s, he created many paintings
depicting rural scenes of young people, children
and life in a farm.
 His most famous works are large marine
paintings he created there, which often showcase
man’s dramatic struggle with nature.
 Homer’s realism was objective, true to nature and
emotionally controlled.
Lifespan: February 26, 1808 – February 10, 1879
Nationality: French
 Though a prominent painter, sculptor and
printmaker, he is best known for his caricatures
of 19th century French political and social life.
 Daumier satirized government officials and the
manners of the bourgeoisie while finding heroes
in the working class.
 He was even imprisoned for six months for
portraying King Louis Philippe I and his regime
in a negative light.
 Such is his influence that Daumier is known as
the “Michelangelo of caricature”.
Lifespan: July 25, 1844 – June 25, 1916
Nationality: American
 A painter, photographer, sculptor and fine arts
educator; Thomas Eakins received little
recognition during his lifetime but he is now
widely considered as one of the most
influential figures in American art history.
 Eakins was interested in bringing out the
individuality of his models and created what
are now regarded as masterpieces in
portraiture.
 Apart from his art, Eakins is credited for
introducing “the camera to the American art
studio” and for being an influential art teacher.
Lifespan: December 8, 1815 – February 9, 1905
Nationality: German
 During his time, Adolph Menzel was best
known for demonstrating scenes from the life
of Frederick the Great.
 He wanted to capture the monarch as a man
who was both hated and admired, simply as
he was.
 His art not only presents reality with
precision but also has an unmatched
liveliness to it. He achieved this due to his
exemplary skills as a draftsman.