Bather Sleeping by a Brook 1845

"Bather Sleeping by a Brook" (1845) by Gustave Courbet is a realist painting featuring a nude woman reclining on a rock by a stream in a wooded setting. Courbet was a key figure in the Realist movement, which emphasized everyday life and rejected idealized depictions of subjects. The painting captures the naturalism of the human form and the surrounding landscape with detailed brushwork and a focus on light and shadow. Courbet's realism challenged the traditional conventions of art, particularly the idealized representations of the female body, which were often seen in academic art at the time.