COURBET, GUSTAVE (1819-77). A French landscape, figure, and portrait painter, founder of the modern Realist School. lie was born at Ornans (Franche-Comte) on June 10, 1819, of wealthy peasant parents. His first instruc tion in art was acquired at his home under Vlageoulet, a pupil of David. In his twentieth year he went to Paris, where he worked in dif ferent studios, hut lie was in the main self taught. He speedily found recognition, and soon became the chief leader of the Realists, in oppo sition to both Classicists and Romanticists. Courbet was of a very independent character, and had so little regard for the opinions of the judges of the Salon that he returned for six suceessive years a picture rejected in 1841. When in the Exposition of 1855 his pictures were un favorably hung, he withdrew them altogether and held a separate exposition. In 1870 he re turned the Cross of the Legion of Honor to Na poleon with a protest. He was Radical and So cialist in politics, and under the Commune he was made director of the fine arts. As such he saved the collections of Thiers and of the Luxembourg from the infuriated populace, but he sacrificed the Vendinne Column in order to appease the crowd. For this act he was imprisoned after the downfall of the Commune, and all of his paintings were sold at public auction. In order to avoid further suits for damages. he went into voluntary exile. and died broken-hearted near Vevey, in Switzer land. December 31, 1877. He was a strong but rather coarse character, blustering, but good natured—a healthy animal without the least spirituality.
His paintings portray nature exactly as it is. without the least addition of sentiment or ideal ism, for he conceived realism to be possible only through the absolute negation of idealism. As he confined himself to the reproduction of nature. there could be no refined composition or real action in his work. for these depend on the painter himself. His figures were no more than
models in the positions painted, his landscapes mere patches of forest or country taken at random. In figure painting he was partial to the coarse types preferred by the Flemish School. and lie always painted them life size. His color ing was excellent, and in his figure subjects. which are chiefly brush works, it was pure. strong, and mellow. In his landscapes lie used the palette-knife very freely. obtaining brilliant and sparkling effects of color. His chief defect is his lack of strength in drawing.
The volume of Courbees work was enormous, and his activity extends over a variety of sub jects. Among the best of his portrait. and figure painting are the "Man with a Leather Belt," the "Fair Dutchwoman." the "Stone Breakers," representing two workmen breaking .stones, as one can sec them in the street: the "Demoiselles de In Seine," two typical grisettes reclining in ungraceful attitudes on the grass, yet a picture of great beauty of color. The most ambitious of all is hi. at Ornan•" (painted 1850, now in the Louvre), a village funeral. This picture is composed of thirty-nine life-size figure.. admirably balanced. On the one hand are the perfunctory mourners, such as the priest, beadles. pall-bearers, on the other, the real mourners. Among his best landseapcs are the "Combat of the Stags" and the "Deer Retreat." His marine painting, "The Wave," has been acquired by the Luxembourg.
Consult,: Muther. Hishay of Modern Painting, vol. ii. (London, 1896) : Isham, "Gustave Cour bet," in Van Dyke's Modern French Masters (New York. 1890) : Silvestre. Les artistes tranrais (Paris. 1878) ; Patoux, "Courbet." in Les artistes eWbres; D'Ideville, Gnsture Cou• bet (Paris, 1878); and La. sur Courbet (Paris, 1879).