Art History Week Three (Courbet)

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.