Le Veau Blanc 

Gustave Courbet painted this image of a white calf using oil on canvas, during the mid-19th century. Courbet was a leading figure in the Realist movement, and sought to depict the world as it was, without romanticism. Look at this calf, standing near a stream in the French countryside. Courbet grew up in the same region that he depicts here, and believed that artists should only paint what they can see. In this context, rural life and the labor of farmers represented the true values of French society. He found beauty in what had been regarded as mundane. Courbet made the calf the focal point, showing its innocence and vulnerability. The image challenges traditional hierarchies in art, where rural subjects were seen as secondary. Through this artwork, Courbet elevates the ordinary and invites us to consider the worth and dignity of all living things.