por What is realism?
He realism It was an artistic movement that originated in France in the mid-19th century, after Romanticism and before naturalism. It arose approximately in 1850, after the Revolution of 48, in the form of protests against the working conditions and quality of life that were faced at that time.
This current is closely related to Romanticism since, although the artists who made realism emerge took the previous current as inspiration, its background was totally opposed to Romanticism: the artists were opposed to embellishing reality and continuing to represent aspects From the past.
The main objective of realism was to capture in his works aspects of daily life at that time. They highlighted elements of a social nature—such as the long hours of hard work that even women and children had to do in industries—as well as the kind of life that the elite of the bourgeoisie enjoyed.
Historical context of realism
Realism arose after the Revolution of 1848. This action caused discomfort among the people because it was considered to have failed, since the Second French Empire was later established.
The causes fought for in the French Revolution were buried by economic and social interests; Great discontent was generated in society and, with this, an awakening in the artists of the time, who showed sensitivity towards political and social issues.
Industrialization was the cause of the abandonment of artisan work to a large extent, and as a lot of labor was needed in the industries, both men, women and children were forced to work long hours.
Society was deteriorating due to the decline in working conditions and quality of life, so the artists of the time decided to use their art as a means through which to express criticism of the new way of living that had to be bear.
In addition to representing everyday life for criticism, the artists tried to represent said reality in the most objective way possible, without alluding to canons of beauty such as those imposed in Romanticism, nor alluding to the past; They only sought to capture the day to day.
Characteristics
– I sought to represent everyday life situations as objectively as possible, without embellishing or distorting them in any way.
– Despite having a certain influence from Romanticism, he opposed this current because he sought to put aside the ideals and egocentrism associated with it. His intent was more direct, less embellished.
– The main themes to be dealt with through the works were associated with life in the countryside and exploitation. This responded to the reality that the majority of the citizens lived at that time.
– It served as the basis of inspiration for several subsequent currents, among which naturalism stands out.
– Many of the works belonging to this movement were criticized for addressing situations that were very ordinary, without trying to distort, transform or improve reality.
– The purpose of this movement was purely social: to convey the precarious and unfavorable way in which many people lived at the time Realism emerged. It also showed the type of life that the wealthy classes of the time led.
– The representation of human bodies sought to be done in such a way that they looked as real as possible. Characteristic of this movement is the use of different techniques that favor the presence of extremely careful and realistic details.
– There was an adequate management of the volume of the objects represented through the use of sophisticated techniques of light, shadows and color, both in pictorial creations and in sculptures.
themes of realism
The themes of realism they are characterized mainly by being very close to the artist and his context. There are certain common themes:
Exhibition of the reality of the time. Close characters, believable situations, sometimes in the crudest way possible. social criticism and record of existing social differences at the time.
Characters of everyday life, bourgeois class and working class. C.entering the present, the real, the concrete, what could be observed and understood by the artists themselves.
Representatives and their works
Paint
edouard manet
He was a French painter born in Paris on January 23, 1832. His interest in art began when he began to study at Thomas Couture’s workshop with the permission of his parents, but six years after being under the teachings of this painter, decided to leave the workshop.
He liked to visit museums to copy works by various artists such as Rembrandt, Goya, Courbet and others, so in 1853 he began to travel around Europe, specifically to Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria and the Netherlands, to continue copying the paintings of great artists and polish their training.
In October 1863, he married Suzanne Leenhoff, a renowned Dutch pianist of the time, and two years later he traveled to Spain again. On that trip he met an artist who was later a great influence on him: Diego Velázquez.
Manet never dedicated himself to teaching nor did he have apprentices, except for a young woman whom he took in as a disciple in 1869, Eva Gonzales, who continued her training in painting and became an artist after having received the teachings of Manet and Charles Joshua Chaplin.
In 1880 he began to suffer from health problems due to a chronic circulatory disease. Three years later he had to have his left leg amputated as a result of said disease, and he fell ill with gangrene. He died on April 30, 1883 in Paris at the age of 51.
Plays
Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe (1863)
This oil painting is also known as picnic lunch. It is currently in the Musée d’Orsay (Paris).
olympia (1863)
It is an oil painting on canvas that caused a lot of controversy, since it was one of the first realistic nudes. Manet worked on this work to present it in 1863 at the Salon des Refusés, but he was not able to exhibit it until 1865 at the Paris Salon. It is currently in the Musée d’Orsay.
The balcony (1869)
It represents the life of the bourgeoisie and is inspired by a painting by Francisco de Goya: The majas on the balcony. Like most of his works, it remains in Paris, at the Musée d’Orsay.
A bar aux Folies Bergère (1882)
This work, oil on canvas, was the last artistic piece made by Manet before his death. He painted it in 1882 and that same year it was exhibited at the Paris Salon. Its location since 1932 is in the Courtauld Gallery (London).
Gustave Courbet
He was born in Ornans, France, on June 10, 1819. He was a painter and revolutionary, considered the highest representative of realism.
Until he was 20 years old, he stayed in his town of origin. At that age he moved to Paris to work at the Swiss Academy and train in painting. In addition to receiving lessons from artists such as the Frenchman Charles de Steuben, he also dedicated himself to copying the paintings of famous painters whose works were exhibited in the Louvre Museum.
He liked to paint landscapes, especially of his town, portraits and nudes; however, he was against certain aspects of Romanticism and Neoclassicism, so in 1848 he and Max Bouchon proposed a manifesto against these trends.
Courbet was interested in representing aspects of daily life, household chores, workers’ lives and outdoor activities, and was severely criticized for depicting situations that were considered too ordinary.
In 1855 his works were exhibited at the Universal Exposition in Paris, but after seeing that they did not obtain the acceptance he desired, he decided to open his own exhibition named The pavilion of realismwhich was located near the Field of Mars.
In February 1871, the Paris commune appointed him director of museums, but that same year he was dismissed and imprisoned as he was charged with responsibility for the demolition of the Vendôme column, a great symbol of Napoleon Bonaparte.
After having spent 6 months in jail totally deprived of liberty, in 1873 he decided to go into exile in Switzerland. He fell into the habit of alcohol and almost completely distanced himself from art. On December 31, 1877, he died of cirrhosis of the liver in La Tour-de-Peliz, Switzerland.
Plays
Burial in Ornans (1849)
It is one of the paintings that most strongly represents Courbet’s style. It was painted in oil on canvas and is currently in the Musée d’Orsay.
the stonecutters (1849)
It was first exhibited in 1850 at the Paris Salon and was a representation of social realism. This painting was lost during World War II.
wheat sieves (1853)
Made with oil paint, in this painting by Courbet his sisters were models. It is currently located in the Museum of Fine Arts in Nantes.
the meeting (1854)
This oil painting depicts Courbet himself greeted by his employer, his servant and his dog while traveling to Montpellier, in a setting on a sunny day full of light. Currently this work is in the Fabre Museum (Montpellier).
The painter’s workshop (1855)
This oil painting on canvas is very famous, since it was the main work with which Courbet opened his solo exhibition, The pavilion of realismin 1855. It currently remains in the Musée d’Orsay.
Sculpture
auguste rodin
Auguste Rodin was a French sculptor born in Paris on November 12, 1840. Coming from a humble family, he showed an interest in art from an early age and began his training at the Congrégation des frères de la doctrine chrétienne de Nancy in 1848.
Two years later he left this school and attended one in Beauvais until 1854, but at the age of 14 he was transferred to the Petite École, where he was able to formally begin his training in drawing under the teaching of Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran.
For several years Rodin had the intention of entering the School of Fine Arts but, although he tried repeatedly, he never succeeded. However, this was not an impediment for the young man to continue his training, as he began to be interested in sculpture and painting and went to the Louvre Museum to practice his techniques.
In 1857 he participated as an assistant to Georges-Eugène Haussmann in the reconstruction of Paris and began to make decorative sculptures. Years later, this activity became his livelihood.
It is considered that his first great work was Saint John the Baptist preachingand after this came a time of great inspiration for Rodin, in which he made The kiss, Hell’s doors, The Burghers of Calais and The Thinkeramong other.
On November 17, 1917, he died in Meudon, shortly after the death of his wife at the time, Rose Beuret.
Plays
The Thinker (1880)
It is one of the artist’s most famous sculptures. It was made in bronze and is currently in the Rodin Museum (Paris). There are more than 20 different versions of this work in museums around the world.
The kiss (1882)
It is a marble sculpture inspired by…