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Gustave Courbet
French · 1819–1877
Realism
Gustave Courbet pioneered Realism by depicting ordinary people and landscapes with unflinching naturalism, rejecting Romantic idealization. His approach to the human figure emphasized authentic physicality and psychological presence, rendered with bold brushwork and dramatic chiaroscuro. Courbet's commitment to visual truth over academic convention fundamentally challenged 19th-century artistic hierarchies.
Character
Socially provocativeTechnically masterfulDefiantly naturalisticPolitically engaged
