Gustave Courbet
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The life and works of Gustave Courbet (1819-1877)--widely considered one of the most outstanding advocates of Realism--represent a revolt against the academic tradition of painting and conservative politics. Technically masterful, his captivating paintings contrasted the idealization of nature with realistic representation, often triggering downright scandal among his contemporaries. By examining Courbet's major works--self-portraits, portraits, genre paintings, landscapes, nudes, hunting scenes, still lifes--this splendid volume spans the Frenchman's entire artistic career and his involvement with politics. Renowned experts shed light on his development of a realistic, critical style, describe his great influence on both contemporaries and later generations, and consider his works in their own art-historical context, as well as his relationship to early photography, which also strove to create a faithful reproduction of reality.
Gustave Courbet
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Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) is considered to have introduced the practice of socially engaged painting, and he is viewed as one of the most important representatives of Realism. The direct and honest depictions of this artistic tendency-which ascribed to representing things as they are-challenged the idealized subject matter of academic painting and scandalized the Parisian society of the nineteenth century. Courbet became a leading figure of the rebellious artistic bohème and cultivated a lively exchange with the predominant poets and artists of his era. However, he was not merely an anti-establishment provocateur; he significantly revolutionized landscape painting. With seven essays this volume offers an introduction to selected aspects of the artist's life and work. His paintings will also inspire even those who may not be well versed in the world of art. Courbet's incredibly rich oeuvre and his exciting biography make him an artist worth discovering, again and again. (German edition ISBN 978-3-7757-3861-3) In conjunction with this exhibition a catalogue (German edition ISBN 978-3-7757-3862-0, English edition ISBN 978-3-7757-3863-7) and a volme in the E-Books series (German edition ISBN 978-3-7757-3867-5, English edition ISBN 978-3-7757-3878-1). Exhibition: Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel 7.9.2014-18.1.2015
Millet
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"Born a peasant in Normandy, Jean-François Millet was acclaimed during his lifetime as the greatest 'peasant painter' of the nineteenth century. Although the classical solidity of his figures looked back to Michelangelo, his admirers and disciples included such revolutionary Post-Impressionists as Gauguin, Seurat and van Gogh. Neglected by subsequent generations, Millet has recently won an increasingly appreciative public, especially following the retrospective exhibitions of his work held in Paris and London in 1975-76"--Book cover.
