Art & Ideas: Courbet

Part of the Art & Ideas series.

Few artists have been so involved in the events of their time as the French painter Gustave Courbet (1819-77), an outspoken pioneer in the development of modern art. His Realist vision and insistence on freedom of expression embodied the democratic political ideals and social climate of the mid-nineteenth century.

James Rubin vividly portrays the ambitious and proud painter from rural Ornans who, rebuffed by the Parisian art world and attacked as a "Realist", seized upon that name to assert his radical sympathy for ordinary citizens and their down-to-earth experience. Courbet painted subjects from the world around him: from rural labourers and family gatherings presented on a scale traditionally reserved for historical and literary themes, to sensuous and revitalising landscapes, hunting scenes, still lifes, portraits and erotic nudes. Addressing the full range of Courbet's work, Rubin's original and engaging account combines a close reading of the paintings with a fascinating discussion of the personal, political, economic and social circumstances in which they were created.

Includes colour and black-and-white illustrations.