The Source (Bather at the Source) 1868

Gustave Courbet painted this scene with oil paint on canvas, a well-established fine art medium, although his approach was anything but conventional. The painting’s heavy impasto and visible brushstrokes showcase the artist's hand and process. Courbet mixed his colors liberally and layered them thickly, using the materiality of paint to create a sense of depth and texture. He was renowned for the use of a palette knife, rather than the brush, as a means of applying paint to canvas. Instead of the highly polished surfaces favored by academic painters, Courbet embraced a rawer aesthetic, reflecting his commitment to Realism. Labor is visible in this painting, not only in the scene represented, but also in the artist's own activity. The viewer is made aware of the painting as a made thing. It is through this emphasis on materials, making, and context, that we can understand the full meaning of the artwork and challenge traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.