10 paintings by famous realist painters that turned the idea of beauty

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Rejecting an excessive emphasis on emotionality, which is so inherent in romanticism, and an enthusiastic glorification of the past, realists, led by Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet, began to draw not only ordinary people, but also various moments with incredibly reliable accuracy. And despite the fact that most of the currently known realistic paintings were often criticized, causing controversy due to the fact that they allegedly showed such situations that many artists tried to avoid in their works, considering them inappropriate, nevertheless, many managed to conquer the world, firmly seated in the history of the art world.

1. Rosa Bonneur

Rosa Bonneur was called one of the most popular artists of the 19th century, who became famous all over the world thanks to her works depicting animals. But her tremendous success came to her only when the world saw her amazing work called "Horse Fair", which captures the equestrian market, taking place on the boulevard L'Hôpital in Paris. And no matter how funny it may sound, in order to convey everything she saw as accurately as possible, the woman went to the square almost every day for an hour and a half to make several sketches, which later formed the basis of her painting.

In 1853, the first show of her painting took place at the Paris Salon, after which the work went all over the world, conquering not only the inhabitants of Europe, but also America. And it is not at all surprising that even the English queen at one time appreciated this work very highly and at its true worth, and the Metropolitan Museum even called the "Horse Fair" the most famous and remarkable creation.

2. Ilya Repin

Ilya Repin is well known for such work as "Barge Haulers on the Volga", which he wrote under the impression of relaxing on the river in 1870. This work is a strange mixture of human strength, social stratification and all the difficulties that the common people have to face. He masterfully captured eleven workers who tirelessly drag the barge along the Volga, representing a single whole, what can be safely called an unbroken moment. And it is not at all surprising that it was this picture that received international recognition for the most accurately and reliably conveyed the vicissitudes that ordinary people, people of the working class, had to face.

Such a large-scale and colossal success became a kind, very pleasant and not unsuccessful impetus to the beginning of the artist's career, making him a true master, able to document the notorious social inequality. Ultimately, Prince Vladimir Alexandrovich became the owner of the painting, with the help of whom it was exhibited on the territory of what was then Europe, becoming a symbol of true, Russian realism of that time.

3. Thomas Eakins

Thomas Eakins is the main American realist who stood out from the crowd of other masters in that in his works he skillfully portrayed the human essence and individuality of each model, making this the main emphasis. Perhaps the most popular painting of the master is the work called "The Gross Clinic", which depicts an outstanding surgeon from the United States - Samuel D. Gross. In the picture, he performs a complex operation, during which he removed the damaged bone in the thigh area. Praised for its uncompromising realism, The Gross Clinic is considered by many critics to be the finest realistic painting in American art history. Famed as the great history of 19th century medicine, she is also considered an incredibly realistic and detailed American portrait.

4. Jean-Francois Millet

Jean-François Millet is one of the most prominent figures in the field of French realism. And also he is willingly put on a par with Gustave Courbet, since he, like this giant of painting, became famous all over the world for paintings with images of ordinary villagers. His work, titled "Angelus," was the author's last but most famous work, which epitomizes devotion to Catholicism and prayer. She displays an image of two peasants bowing to Angelus at the end of the day to thank him.

It is worth noting that in the region of the horizon the church is clearly visible, and, most likely, it was the ringing of the church bell that alerted the man and woman about the end of the working day, so that, after finishing their work, they would say a prayer. Initially, the picture bore a very original title "Prayer for a Potato Field", because the sketch depicted shows that everything that happens is taking place in Barbizon, France, on one of the potato fields.

5. Gustave Courbet

What can we say, and Gustave Courbet is still called the outstanding master of French realism, his main inspirer and activist. At the time when he decided to create his most controversial painting "The Origin of the World", erotic motives and a human, naked body were allowed only in works that carried mythological or fairy-tale motives. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that Courbet's realistic approach simply turned the art world upside down, changing the idea of what is correct and presentable.

The artist depicts a naked woman and her genitals in detail and accurately, which is clearly visible, since her position with her legs spread wide allows you to see everything with your own eyes. This painting still has the ability to shock even the modern viewer with its frankness, however, this work still managed to create a contradiction, which led to its censorship and ban in many cases.

6. Andrew Wyeth

"Christina's World" is a painting by a leading US artist of that time, which is one of the most prominent and famous American works of the last century. She depicts a woman lying on a field. The woman is looking at the gray house on the horizon. The main character of this work is far from a fictional character, but a real person who inspired the artist to write it. Anna Christina Olson was a neighbor of the artist who suffered from a degenerative muscle disorder that prevented her from walking normally. One day, standing by the window, Andrew saw her crawling with all her might across the field. It was this moment that prompted him to create "Christina's World". Even despite the fact that at the first show the picture was left without proper attention, gradually, over time, it began to gain more and more popularity, becoming a real symbol of American style.

7. Jean-Francois Millet

In addition to the legendary "Angelus", Millet had three more outstanding paintings that portrayed humble, common people. "The ears of corn" is the most famous of all the work of this genius. It was this work that influenced the works of other artists who lived and worked after Millet, for example, such as Van Gogh, Renoir, Seur, Pissarro. She depicts three peasant women wandering around the field, picking up the ears left after the harvest.

In his work, Millet portrayed the lower ranks of rural society in a gloomy sympathetic style, thereby provoking harsh criticism from French aristocrats and members of high society during the first demonstration of the painting. In addition, public outrage was caused by the far non-standard dimensions of the canvas 33 by 44 inches, which were often used for paintings with mythological and religious motives.

8. Gustave Courbet

The painting "Burial at Ornans" made a splash, causing a huge flurry of emotions and gossip among the large public in 1850-51. It depicts the funeral of the artist's great-uncle, held in the small settlement of Ornand in France. Gustave portrayed with incredible realism those citizens who came and attended the burial ceremony. But it was not this that caused the viewer's discontent, but the fact that the canvas was incredibly huge (10 by 22 feet) for a painting of this kind, because such a format was reserved exclusively for heroic and religious scenes in historical painting.

In addition to all this, indignation revolved around the fact that the procession was depicted without any sentimental-emotional motive, thereby shaking the world of fine art. Despite everything, having gone through criticism and gossip, this work became the main one, thanks to which the audience stopped appreciating the romantic direction, becoming interested in a new, more realistic and vital approach to creativity, which became a turning point in France in the 19th century.

9. Edward Hopper

A person like Edward Hopper became famous due to the fact that in his works he managed to reveal the solitude of life, forcing everyone who looks at the picture to turn on the imagination in order to complete the artistic narration. This painting was inspired by memories of a restaurant on Greenwich Avenue. In it, the artist depicts people sitting in a diner located in the city center late at night. Much to their amazement, this plot has been interpreted by many as an illustration of the horrific consequences of World War II, as well as a depiction of the complete isolation of an individual in the midst of the bustle of New York.

10. Edouard Manet

Edouard Manet is a man who was called in the society of artists nothing more than an impressionist, but he himself called himself a real realist. This is evidenced by one of his most famous works, namely the painting "Olympia", which depicts a nude woman lying on a luxurious bed, accompanied by a maid. In 1865, this work was put on public display, causing outrage not only on the part of the public, but also on the part of critics. No, not because a naked girl was captured on her, but because of a number of details that plainly indicated that she was confused, namely: an orchid that adorned her hair, a bracelet worn on her arm, pearl earrings and a thin oriental shawl on which she lies.

In addition to all this, there is a black cat in the picture, which at that time was also considered a traditional symbol of prostitution. The main feature of this picture, according to world critics, is not at all that it was inspired by the image of "Titian Venus" by Urbino, but precisely in the fact that this canvas depicts not a gorgeous woman, not a goddess, and not even an aristocrat, but the most that neither is an elite prostitute. The key aspect of the picture is the confrontational look of this woman, which many interpret as nothing more than the pinnacle of disobedience to the patriarch.

Read also about what it really is that has been admired and admired for centuries.