Art Encyclopedia - Realism

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Realism
In the visual arts the term realism is used to describe art work that depict subjects as they appear in everyday life. These art works usually depict the subject without embellishment or artist's interpretation and often emphasize the ugly or sordid in order to reveal a truth.

In art history realism also refers to a popular art movement in the 19th century originating in France. Realism as an art movement came about with the introduction of photography which created a renewed desire in people to produce things that look real. It was also a reaction against romanticism and realism revolted against emotionalism having truth and accuracy as their goal.

Realism is not easy to define because it is relative, and determined by culture. It is much the same as naturalism but realism is concerned with specifics and details whereas naturalism is concerned with a general view of the world.