Gustave Courbet

            During the 19^th century it was difficult for artist not to be affected by the revolution taking place in 1848. Gustave Courbet was affected by the revolution and it is seen in his realist paintings. To certain viewers, mostly the bourgeoisie, his paintings, The Stonebreakers and A Burial at Ornans, were offensive.

            Courbet painted The Stonebreakers in 1849 and it offended many bourgeoisies when the painting was shown at the salon. The painting would have been offensive to the bourgeoisie because this large scale painting is of two working class men. The painting was fairly large and typically large scale paintings were of historical or biblical events. Instead, Courbet filled the space with lower class.  Seeing the lower class at such a large scale was offensive to the bourgeoisie because their lifestyles caused the lower class to be extremely poor and oppressed.  The Stonebreakers is a good example of Saint-Simonian avant-gardism. Saint-Simon believed that art should encourage society to push forward and to better them. This painting is an example of this because Courbet glorifies the working class and in a way is forcing the higher classes to look at these poor men to perhaps cause empathy. The painting is artistically radical too. The paint appears rough, almost unfinished, which is very different from the traditionally perfect smooth Academy paintings. The figures fill most of the foreground yet their faces are turned away from the viewer. Even though most elements of the painting are not traditional, Courbet utilizes perspective and illusionism.

            Another Courbet painting is A Burial at Ornans which was painted the same year as The Stonebreakers. The painting A Burial at Ornans is even bigger than stonebreakers. The Ornans painting has slightly higher class depicted yet untraditionally shows a funeral which would not be considered a historical or biblical event. Even though there are many figures depicted, the subject matter is unclear, there are not any single person more emphasized more than another. The only thing that appears to be emphasized is the dog in the foreground that is white juxtaposed to the figure’s dark clothing. During the 19^th century it would have been offensive to have a dog emphasized. Others would have been opposed to the painting because there is a very large hole in the foreground which makes no sense to include. Courbet may have been inspired to paint this sense because his father had recently passed. It is also said that Courbet possibly created a link between the revolution presently taking place and a revolution during his father’s lifetime. This is said because there are figures in the foreground that are wearing clothing that was popular during his father’s lifetime. Many men and women at the salon found the painting to be very offensive and were even more offended that people from the lower class were going to the salon to see the painting.

            Even though Courbet’s paintings were not liked by very many people, he was still able to send radical messages through his art that were affected by the on going revolution in France.