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Art History Week Four

Blogs > Friloux
Post a Reply
Friloux
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
Canada100 Posts
January 23 2010 03:20 GMT
#1
Courbet

Hello TeamLiquid, continuing on with the art posts... this will be my final post about Courbet, as I don't have much more to say about him... I think next week I will discuss Daumier, or maybe Millet unless I receive any requests.

Gustave Courbet (Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet) 1819 - 1877
Bio
+ Show Spoiler +

Courbet was born in Ornans (Besançon) in the Franche Comté, to Régis and Sylvie Oudot Courbet. Courbet was the first born boy and the youngest of 5 children. Courbet was always close to his family, and his roots. His father was a farmer, and paid a small allowance for him to study art. At age 20 he moved to Paris, and is largely self-taught. Courbet follows the Romantic Era of painting. Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) Honoré Daumier (1808-1878), and Jean-François Millet (1814-1875) were contemporaries, friends. All saw the height and breakdown of both Neoclassicism and Romanticism. At the time, were witnessing cultural change: Marx argued that classical antiquity was no longer viable as a model in the fine arts. All shared a will for revolutionary change; the communist manifesto published at that time, even if Courbet did not read. The French Revolution of 1848 was set off by a recession (similar to other countries at that time). Fighting in the streets between proletarian fighters and the guard: 3000 imprisoned or executed for having defied authority. Stemming from these events comes Avant Garde artists (coming from military term). Courbet, in the 40s, was already making scenes of proletarian figures as heroes. At the height of pitch battles, he wrote to his family “I do not believe in wars fought with guns and cannons, I have been waging a battle of intellect.” Courbet first used the term "Realisme"; to Courbet, a Realist was a lover of the honest truth. When asked why he did not paint traditional subject matter, he replied "Show me an angel, and I’ll paint it." Early submissions to the Salon were refused, but in 1844 his "Self portrait with Black Dog" was accepted. Courbet has many self-portraits, all constructing the artist's identity; the artist as self. Courbet often met with other likeminded individuals and friends, including Baudelaire and Champfleur at the Brasserie AndlerIn 1853 post-revolution Emperor Napoleon III issued a decree issued that the exhibition would be cancelled, and that France would stage a universal exposition in 1855 to show off how awesome they were.Comte de Nieuwerkeke was aware of Courbet’s up and coming status and wanted him to be included in the Exhibition, arranged to meet Courbet for lunch at a very elegant restaurant to coerce Courbet to make a painting to his standards. Courbet respectfully declined, not willing to conform to any standards. So, Courbet made his own exhibition, the Pavilion of Realism funded by Alfred Bruyas. This was the first time art shown outside the “system" (Salon).In 1870 Courbet established the "Fédération des artistes" for the free and uncensored expansion of art. Members Honoré Daumier, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot and Édouard Manet. Courbet ran in a political election, elected as a communal (delegate) 6th arondissement in Paris 1871. During the Paris Commune in 1871, Courbet proposed the column to be disassembled and re-erected in the Hôtel des Invalides. The dismantling was voted and the column taken down. It was decided that Courbet should foot part of the expenses for reconstruction. When he couldn’t not afford this, he was fined, then imprisoned. Courbet was not allowed to paint in jail. Courbet aided the forgery of his own works by his students. In his later years Courbet took refuge in Switzerland to avoid bankruptcy. The cost of the damages oweing was 323 091, 68. Courbet was permitted to pay in yearly instalments of 10,000 francs for the next 33 years, until his 91st birthday. On 31 December 1877, a day before the payment of the first instalment was due, Courbet died at age 58 of liver disease aggravated by heavy drinking.



This week I would like to show you his 'Habits of the Countryside' series. Now, I'm not certain that the series is recognised under that name, or even is a series at all, but one of my professors insists it is, so there you go. As was mentioned in previous posts, Courbet grew up in the Country and is very fond of depicting real life scenes in all their glory, which was generally taboo. If a painting wasnt of someone important, it wasnt liked, basically. But, Courbet just did what he liked and generally got away with it.


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The Winnowers 1853-4
This painting is perhaps the most famous painting dealing with his preoccupation with the ordinary activities of life, especially in his hometown of Ornans. That is, apart from the Stonebreakers, which was discussed in an earlier edition. In this painting, the Winnowers are doing just that; winnowing, or separating Wheat from chaff. He painted this painting in his studio in Ornans. The painting invites a narrative. That is to say, there is a suggestion of different events ocurring over time. Such as, Winnowing! and then, getting tired and taking a rest on some wheat sacks while plucking thoughtfully at some wheat in a dish. Later, some boy comes in looking for something, he checks in the wooden box, thinking it might be there. There are various bowls and containers with varying amounts of fullness, indicating that their task has a start, and will have an end. Compare this with a painting like The Milkmaid, by Jan Vermeer, in which there is no sense of narrative. There is no beginning to the milk, nor any end, there is nothing she started doing, nothing she needs to be doing after, just pouring milk for all eternity. And same thing with the Stonebreakers.. there isnt any indication to an end to their task.. just breakin' rocks for all eternity.
Some other elements that ties this work in with Courbet's habits of the countryside series is that of Plenty, and Labour.

[image loading]

[image loading]


Giving Alms/ Village Maidens 1851, 51-2
As you can see, there are two versions of this painting. Courbet started with one, then decided to do another, close-up version. They depict Village Maidens, who were actually Courbet's sisters, giving alms (charity) to a poor girl. For the high class people of Paris, this is probably the last thing they wanted to see, but Courbet wanted to show them reality.. the same things he would have seen with his own eyes in Rural France. Both paintings violate the conventional rules of scale and perspective, and challenges traditional class distinctions by underlining the close connections between the emerging rural middle class, and the poor cowherd who accepts their charity.


[image loading]


Beggar’s Alms at Ornans. 1868.
This painting caused huge outcry at the Salon of 1868. Not only does it feature a life sized travelling hobo, but a secondary, smaller gypsy child who is accepting money from the hobo. If Parisians didn't want to see a beggar, then his was a double slap in the face! Similar to the above painting, Courbet brings the lower classes to the foreground, but in this case, this nameless charitable hobo gets to be front and centre with a whole life sized painting dedicated to him.
This painting isn't that attractive from an aesthetic point of view, but is amazingly beautiful, as the grey clouds part and reveal beautiful blue sky, right where the hand of the outstreatched child receives charity from a poor man. Gorgeous.


[image loading]


After Dinner at Ornans, 1848.
Courbet has a love/hate relationship with the art world of Paris. While they hated him for the Realism they didn't want to see, they loved him for the Realism they could tolerate. This lifesized painting got mixed but positive reception in the Salon of 1849. It shows Courbet's family; his father sleeping in his chair, Courbet is listening to Promayet play the violin. "In their inability to feel that everyday life contains mightier and saner poetry than fabulous and historical scenes, Courbet's contemporaries no doubt drove him to emphasize his note in order to gain a better understanding."*
This painting was awarded a Gold Medal, and therefore was automatically purchased for 1500 franks.


[image loading]


Burial at Ornans. 1850.
This painting goes along with the other paintings of traditional life in the french Countryside. It depicts the funeral/burial of Courbet's Grandfather. Courbet used people who had attended the funeral for models, instead of hired professional models. This painting got mixed reviews in the Salon of 1850, for its scale (10 by 22 feet (3.1 by 6.6 meters)) and for its subject. Courbet attempts to make the scene a documentation, using family members, and aspects of the landscape (cliffs) but upon closer inspection the painting begins to unravel. Firstly, Courbet makes a little pun by making all the Clerics' noses red, insinuating that they are drunks. Secondly, no one appears to be that sad. Not even Courbet's Grandfather, who is attending his own funeral! Conveniently, digital versions of this painting cut out the grandfather, who is a confusing element at best. But the following version is complete, just of lesser quality then the one above:
[image loading]

After the Grandfather (extreme left), comes the four pallbearers, "turning their faces (a gruesome touch of realism)"**. The rest of the gatherers include Courbet's family and friends, many of whom were painted in other works
Nevertheless, the contravercy and discussion around this painting made Courbet a household name and shot him to fame, as it were.

[image loading]


Rut in the Springtime 1861
Finally, Courbet made lots of paintings of hunting and bucks and does and stuff like that. To me, they are kind of boring. I think I used to have a rug from the 80s with something like that on it. You know those rugs.. your grandparents probably have one on their wall. Anyway, The paintings, as Courbet goes, are a large 5mx3.5m. It shows elements of country life that Courbet was used to, hunting, animals, nature, etx. This one in particular was shown at the Salon of 1861, and sold at a high price. People couldnt get enough of these, I have no idea why.

* http://www.oldandsold.com/articles28/gustave-courbet-6.shtml
** http://books.google.ca/books?id=dx2G6f5iBYoC&lpg=PA77&ots=3a0uS_Xb0R&dq=burial at ornans courbet grandfather&pg=PA77#v=onepage&q=burial at ornans courbet grandfather&f=false

*****
"Practise what you know, and it will help to make clear what now you do not know." -Rembrandt van Rijn
JWD
Profile Blog Joined October 2007
United States12607 Posts
January 23 2010 03:37 GMT
#2
whoa there! fix those links…the URL tag is your friend

these are so fun to read, thanks for doing them! Any chance to see you write about some modern (20th century) artists??
✌
Rainmaker5
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States1027 Posts
January 23 2010 05:06 GMT
#3
Requesting Caravaggio because he's a bamf.
(-_(-_(-_(^_(-_(-_(-_-)_-)_-)_-)_-)_-)_-) CJ Fighting! "Beer -> soju -> whisky is a terrible build"~~ Scrarecrow.
StarN
Profile Blog Joined November 2004
United States2587 Posts
January 23 2010 05:20 GMT
#4
great writeup man! I love reading these.

I really like Rene Magritte maybe do him! Or maybe Jacques Louis David :3
Retired BW Noob
FreshNoThyme
Profile Joined March 2008
United States356 Posts
January 23 2010 05:32 GMT
#5
I've seen every one of those pictures enough for one life time in Art History in high school. I never want to see them again. Be gone!
Friloux
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
Canada100 Posts
January 23 2010 17:27 GMT
#6
On January 23 2010 12:37 JWD wrote:
whoa there! fix those links…the URL tag is your friend


Hi.. all the links work for me, so I'm not sure which aren't working for you, but if you let me know I can fix

As for artists, Caravaggio is a good idea because he is awesome and has a cool bio, but dont rent the movie 'caravaggio' because it sucks.
Magritte is also very interesting but I would have to do some research because I havnt taken any courses in any Modern stuff.
David is also amazing, so there will definitely be a week on him in the near future.. especially since we are doing revolutionary france stuff

Thanks for the input!

On January 23 2010 14:32 RANDOMCL wrote:
I've seen every one of those pictures enough for one life time in Art History in high school. I never want to see them again. Be gone!


Thats pretty rude, if you dont want to see art history, maybe dont read my posts called 'art history'
"Practise what you know, and it will help to make clear what now you do not know." -Rembrandt van Rijn
ShoCkeyy
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
7815 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-01-23 17:37:12
January 23 2010 17:36 GMT
#7
On January 23 2010 12:37 JWD wrote:
whoa there! fix those links…the URL tag is your friend

these are so fun to read, thanks for doing them! Any chance to see you write about some modern (20th century) artists??


Probably he's working on up from the past till now? A lot of art history teachers teach like that.


On January 23 2010 14:32 RANDOMCL wrote:
I've seen every one of those pictures enough for one life time in Art History in high school. I never want to see them again. Be gone!


You should be banned from this blog for this. Why would you even come in here and tell him to be gone? He's doing this out of his own free time and will and you're here just degrading it. You need to stop being so smug.


Oh and friloux, I enjoy what you're doing. I, myself, am an Art Major, so keep on trucking.
Life?
FreshNoThyme
Profile Joined March 2008
United States356 Posts
January 23 2010 22:43 GMT
#8
I really enjoyed learning about the paintings back when I originally did, and I think most people around here would as well. I definitely appreciate the effort to educate forum goes on something that they may not have learned during schooling already.

I am baffled that neither of you could see my post as a joke. I made it as obvious as possible, and I said nothing that "degraded" his effort. I should be banned for making an EXTREMELY obvious joke? Fuck off with that. I have no idea who is nerdy enough to get mad at someone for spreading knowledge. On top of that, who the fuck would say "Be gone!" when a simple "fuck off" would suffice? This isn't 4chan nerdcore humor. It was a simple jab.

And lol@ "smug". How the fuck could that even be misconstrued as "smug"? Wash out your rotten vagina.
Cason
Profile Joined August 2009
United States7 Posts
January 24 2010 04:53 GMT
#9
On January 24 2010 07:43 RANDOMCL wrote:
I really enjoyed learning about the paintings back when I originally did, and I think most people around here would as well. I definitely appreciate the effort to educate forum goes on something that they may not have learned during schooling already.

I am baffled that neither of you could see my post as a joke. I made it as obvious as possible, and I said nothing that "degraded" his effort. I should be banned for making an EXTREMELY obvious joke? Fuck off with that. I have no idea who is nerdy enough to get mad at someone for spreading knowledge. On top of that, who the fuck would say "Be gone!" when a simple "fuck off" would suffice? This isn't 4chan nerdcore humor. It was a simple jab.

And lol@ "smug". How the fuck could that even be misconstrued as "smug"? Wash out your rotten vagina.


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