Gustave Courbet
Unsentimental realism
"I maintain," stated Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), "that painting is clearly a concrete art whose existence lies only in the representation of real and existing objects...." Courbet, who influenced and advised the fledgling Impressionists, was an outstanding representative of a naturalistic realism that highlights the contradictions and inequities in society. Revolutionary were Courbet`s style, with dark hues and heavy brushstrokes, and choice of subject—depictions the life of plain people treated in an unsentimental, down to earth manner. His influence was enormous during his lifetime; he was offered the cross of the Legion of Honor in 1872 but he refused it. A man always at odds with authority, be it artistic or political, Courbet became a member of the Paris Commune and was briefly imprisoned and forced to flee to Switzerland for the final years of his life.
About the Series:
Every book in TASCHEN's Basic Art Series features:
- a detailed chronological summary of the artist's life and work, covering the cultural and historical importance of the artist
- approximately 100 color illustrations with explanatory captions
- a concise biography
About the author:
Fabrice Masanès is an art historian and art critic. He obtained his doctorate in art history at the University of the Sorbonne. A specialist in painting, he teaches the history of 19th-century art at the Paris 8 University of Vincennes in Saint-Denis, and the history of Paris in the Middle Ages at the IES, University of Illinois at Chicago. Masanès is also the author of TASCHEN's Courbet and has published an anthology of novels in which he draws comparisons between literature and the arts.
 |
Gustave Courbet
Masanes, Dr. Fabrice
Softcover, flaps 7.3 x 9.1 in., 96 pages, $ 9.99 |
- Reviews (6 items)
"Excellent ouvrage sous tous les rapports (qualité-prix) par Fabrice Masanès. Beaucoup de documents et des reproductions essentielles."
Mémoire des arts, Lyon, France
Mémoire des arts, Lyon, France
- Clippings (4 items)
- See also (5 items)
 |
Caspar David Friedrich The great romantic painter whose importance and influence have often been underestimated |
 |
Delacroix Delacroix - the last great artist of the Renaissance period and the first of the Modern |
 |
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres The classical idealist |