COURBET Gustave

Leader of realism, Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) revolutionized 19th-century painting. Discover the artworks offered by Galerie 125 above.

Gustave Courbet, Leader of Realism

Gustave Courbet, born in 1819 in Ornans, Doubs, and died in 1877 in Switzerland, is one of the major figures of 19th-century French painting. Moving to Paris in 1839, he copied the old masters at the Louvre, then rejected academic conventions for a painting rooted in the reality of his time.

A Pioneer of Realism

With "Un enterrement à Ornans" or "Les Casseurs de pierres," Courbet grants ordinary subjects the dignity previously reserved for history and religion. Peasants, workers, Jura landscapes, sea, and nudes are painted without artifice, with a powerful texture. This approach aligns him with Jean-François Millet and Honoré Daumier.

Commitment and Legacy

A free and controversial artist, Courbet engaged in the Paris Commune, leading to his exile in Switzerland, where he died in 1877. His influence is immense: he paved the way for Édouard Manet, the Impressionists, and many 20th-century painters.

Courbet at Galerie 125

Galerie 125 presents above, when available, the lithographed poster of the Courbet exhibition organized by the city of Ornans in 1962. The gallery also showcases artists influenced by his realism and love of texture, such as Bernard Buffet, Jean Jansem, or Paul Rebeyrolle. Also discover our selection of classical art.