I remember being in awe of this painting by Courbet when I visited the Musée d'Orsay a decade ago as a Fine Art student from the UK. Back then the painting was exhibited without the older, top layer of varnish being removed and its appearance had a much more yellowish tint. It is wonderful to see the piece fully restored, I hope in person the painting still has the same impact through painterly strokes and material weight.
The best exposition of this painting outside written texts that I have heard. I would point out that the multi layered nature of the work is seen also in the way the frescoes and the interior itself create two more worlds within worlds, and make a strange, shuttered kind of complex framing of the artist in his defining practice.
"...those who live on death" was hella deep. Courbet gets to me. The more I hear of him, the more I feel that my brooding artsy weirdo ex inherited his spirit. If the latter had lived at his time and been in his shoes, he would've responded to things the same way (or at least that's the sensation I get). I appreciated the clarification on realism because I did think of it as a kind of naturalism. I got even more from this piece the second time around (e.g. the massive dimensions and embroidery). Whatever he believed, Courbet was quite the talent.
Someone asked how we know that Courbet intended the mother he represents to be poor and Irish. Please see the artist's own letter written to his friend the writer Champfleury during January 1855 and reprinted in Rene Huyghe, Germain Bazin, Jean Adhémar, "Courbet: L'AteIier du peintre: L'Atelier du peintre: Allégorie réelle, 1855" (Paris: Monographies des peintures du Musée du Louvre, 1944), page 23
Excellent video! It seems to me that Mr. Courbet has painted Emile de Girardin in the same pose as Ingres's 'Portrait of Monsieur Bertin', perhaps as Bertin was also a newspaperman.
This is all very clever and impressive, and well executed, and I'm also enamored of the atmospheric and ghostlike sky hovering above it all. Quite a statement and a vision, and one we can easily relate to in our own ongoing political and artistic maneuverings.
Why is the woman naked? Presumably she is a model, but the artist is painting a landscape; no nude-in-progress is in sight. I guess it has something to with the allegory.
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One of your more powerful of all your powerful presentations. Thank you.
Thank you. Can't tell you how much I love your videos.
Courbet is a fascinating artist. Surely one of the most (lastingly) influential of the 19th century. Great presentation!
Muchas gracias Smarthistory. Y bendiciones para Ustedes.
I remember being in awe of this painting by Courbet when I visited the Musée d'Orsay a decade ago as a Fine Art student from the UK. Back then the painting was exhibited without the older, top layer of varnish being removed and its appearance had a much more yellowish tint. It is wonderful to see the piece fully restored, I hope in person the painting still has the same impact through painterly strokes and material weight.
Harris and Zucker are just great. I love to hear them discuss art!
The best exposition of this painting outside written texts that I have heard. I would point out that the multi layered nature of the work is seen also in the way the frescoes and the interior itself create two more worlds within worlds, and make a strange, shuttered kind of complex framing of the artist in his defining practice.
We just learned about that painting in school, and the homework is to analyze it. Thank you so much for reading my mind!
"...those who live on death" was hella deep.
Courbet gets to me. The more I hear of him, the more I feel that my brooding artsy weirdo ex inherited his spirit. If the latter had lived at his time and been in his shoes, he would've responded to things the same way (or at least that's the sensation I get).
I appreciated the clarification on realism because I did think of it as a kind of naturalism. I got even more from this piece the second time around (e.g. the massive dimensions and embroidery). Whatever he believed, Courbet was quite the talent.
So much is going on in this painting. Love that complexity and you pointing details to us. Humbly I have missed some.
Someone asked how we know that Courbet intended the mother he represents to be poor and Irish. Please see the artist's own letter written to his friend the writer Champfleury during January 1855 and reprinted in Rene Huyghe, Germain Bazin, Jean Adhémar, "Courbet: L'AteIier du peintre: L'Atelier du peintre: Allégorie réelle, 1855" (Paris: Monographies des peintures du Musée du Louvre, 1944), page 23
what a complex piece. love it.
Excellent video! It seems to me that Mr. Courbet has painted Emile de Girardin in the same pose as Ingres's 'Portrait of Monsieur Bertin', perhaps as Bertin was also a newspaperman.
I like this painting.
This is all very clever and impressive, and well executed, and I'm also enamored of the atmospheric and ghostlike sky hovering above it all. Quite a statement and a vision, and one we can easily relate to in our own ongoing political and artistic maneuverings.
Great as always, although I'd appreciate it if you could also include metric measurements for your viewers across the pond. :)
Hi Thaddeus, thanks for the kind words. The metric measures can be found at the very top of the end card.
Best,
Steven
Ah, I'd written the comment before finishing it. Thanks!
' the picture behind the picture' .. fascinating post :] .. reckon personally, i swing more to the modest meditative still lives of a Chardin.
The way he emerges out of his painting is bizarre.
This would be more mythical realism then?
Something can be real and a symbol or allegory… nothing about either leads you to believe that there isn’t a reality because he used allegory.
Why is the woman naked? Presumably she is a model, but the artist is painting a landscape; no nude-in-progress is in sight. I guess it has something to with the allegory.