Art Movements in Art History - Realism

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Realism

Introduction to Realism
Modernity has come to mean the search for a personal rather than a collective style. In this respect, Realism, in mid-19th century France, can be seen as the origin of Modernism, the concept which has informed 20th century art up to the 1970s. "The enduring ethic of modern artists since Courbet," notes Elsen, has been "fidelity to one's own experience, and constant empirical search for equivalents in art to the life of the senses, intellect and feeling" ...read more

Realist Art in Context
In order to understand the provocative nature of Realist art, it is essential that it be seen in
the context of 19th century political and social structures and aesthetic and pictorial
conventions. Imagination is not the province of the creative artist alone; a study of art
history requires the spectator and student to use imagination to aid his or her understanding
of art ...read more