Nineteenth Century French Realism

A French art movement spanning from 1840 to the late 1880s that aimed to present a more objective view of modern life through direct observation—both of which contrasted starkly with the subjects and techniques of Romanticism. Realists such as Gustave Courbet—the leading voice of the movement—most often depicted the working classes in their daily lives, reflecting the artists' desire for a more democratic and egalitarian French society.