Character Catalog

A vast canvas measuring 3.15 m by 6.68 m depicting the funeral of a resident of Ornans. This founding work of Realism caused a scandal by granting a monumental format to a scene from ordinary life.

A painting depicting two workers breaking stones by the side of a road, a symbol of social poverty. The original work was destroyed during the bombing of Dresden in 1945.

This canvas depicting two women with realistic, full-bodied figures caused a scandal at the Salon. Napoleon III reportedly struck the painting with his riding crop, shocked by the supposed vulgarity of the scene.

A self-portrait showing Courbet on the road to Montpellier, being greeted by his patron Alfred Bruyas. The painter depicts himself proudly, head held high, as a free and independent artist.

A vast allegorical canvas in which Courbet depicts himself at the center of his studio, surrounded by figures symbolizing the society of his time. It is the central work of the Pavillon du Réalisme.

Two young women lying languidly on the banks of the Seine. The painting caused shock with its raw realism, the figures deemed vulgar by critics.

A series of seascapes painted on the Norman coast, capturing the power of the sea using a palette knife impasto technique. These marine landscapes rank among his most celebrated works.

A seascape depicting the famous Norman cliffs in dramatic post-storm light. This work is testament to Courbet's mastery of landscape painting.

The title of realist was imposed on me just as the title of romantic was imposed on the men of 1830. Titles have never given a fair idea of things; if it were otherwise, works would be superfluous.

In civilized society, I must lead the life of a savage, I must free myself even from governments. My sympathy is with the people, and I must address myself to them directly.

I have studied, outside of any systematic approach and without prejudice, the art of the ancients and the art of the moderns. I have no more wished to imitate the former than to copy the latter. To know in order to be able — such was my thought.

I cannot teach my art, nor the art of any school, since I deny the teaching of art, or rather I maintain, in other words, that art is entirely individual and is, for each artist, nothing but the talent resulting from his own inspiration.

Courbet's hometown in the Jura region, which he depicted in numerous paintings. The Musée Courbet is housed in his family home there.

Courbet settled in Paris as early as 1839 and built his career there. He exhibited at the Salons, frequented literary cafés and the Brasserie Andler, the realists' headquarters.

The city of his patron Alfred Bruyas, who commissioned several works from him. "The Meeting" or "Bonjour Monsieur Courbet" depicts their encounter on the road to Montpellier.

Courbet stayed several times on the Norman coast, where he painted celebrated seascapes and the cliffs of Étretat, helping to bring this site to wider attention.

Courbet's place of exile after the Commune, on the shores of Lake Geneva. He spent his final years there and died in 1877. A commemorative monument is dedicated to him.

A spectacular natural site in the Jura that Courbet painted on several occasions. These landscapes from his native region are among his most admired works.

Courbet made extensive use of the palette knife to apply paint in thick layers directly onto the canvas, creating textures and reliefs characteristic of his style.

Courbet was a regular pipe smoker, an accessory he depicted himself with in several self-portraits, most notably "Man with a Pipe" from 1848–1849.

Courbet often painted outdoors in the Franche-Comté countryside or along the Normandy coast, carrying his portable easel to work directly from the motif.

An avid hunter in the forests of the Jura, Courbet painted numerous hunting scenes inspired by this passion, such as "The Quarry" and "The Kill".

Courbet readily presented himself in working attire rather than bourgeois dress, asserting his identity as a craftsman and his working-class roots.

The recent invention of tin paint tubes allowed Courbet to easily transport his colours for outdoor painting, a practice he helped popularise.