REALISM IN ART AND PHOTOGRAPHYMs. Meyer / English 11

Key Points:

- Realist painters replaced the idealistic images and literary conceits of traditional art with real-life events, successfully helping merge art and life (versus earlier art which often focused on glamorizing historical events, famous historical people, or depicting stories from myth).

- Realism is broadly considered the beginning of modern art. Literally, this is due to its conviction that everyday life and the modern world were suitable subjects for art.

- Realism art wants to depict all social classes accurately. This led to unflinching, sometimes "ugly" portrayals of life's unpleasant moments and the use of dark, earthy palettes that confronted high art's ultimate ideals of beauty.

- Photography became a legitimate art form during the Realism movement since it was difficult to manipulate the truth or glamorize a real life moment in a photograph.

Directions: After you have reviewed the key concepts of Realism art, you will view a variety of different paintings and photographs from the time period. Using the format below, keep track of what you think is important about the painting or photograph. We will discuss your notes as a class.

- Painting Number One “A Burial at Ornans” by Gustave Courbet o What is occurring in this painting?o What do you notice about the type of people depicted in the painting? o Are there any gritty depictions?o How might this painting represent Realism? o What questions do you have about the painting?

- Painting Number Two “The Stone Breakers” by Gustave Courbeto What is occurring in this painting?o What type of people are depicted in this painting? What might their social class

be?o Why might Gustave Courbet have decided to make these figures faceless?o What gritty details are present in the painting? o How are the figures depicted in a dignified manner?

- Painting Number Three – “The Gross Clinic” by Thomas Eakins o What is occurring in this painting?o Where does Eakins choose to use the most of his light colors? Why might be this

way?o What gritty details are present in the painting? o How does this painting represent Realism?

- Painting Number Four – “Rue Transnonain” by Honore Duamiero What is occurring in this painting?o What gritty details are present? o What subject matter does this painting concern itself with depicting? How might

that connect to Realism? o What is left unanswered in this painting?

- Photograph – Antietam Dunker’s Church o What is depicted in this photograph?o This photograph was taken during what American event? What is significant of

the battle of Antietam? o What is the emotional impact of this photograph?o How is the photograph potentially different from a painting? What might a

painting choose to change? - Photograph – “Slave Auction House, Alexandria”

o What is depicted in this photograph?o What is significant about the setting of this photograph when paired with the

events being depicted?o How does this photograph represent the Realism style? o How does this photograph suggest “truth”?