Les demoiselles des bords de la Seine 1857

Gustave Courbet painted these 'Young Ladies on the Banks of the Seine' around 1856, and the picture offers us a glimpse into the social fabric of mid-19th century France. The artist’s style of Realism sought to depict the everyday, and here we see two women relaxing by the river. At first glance, it looks like an innocent scene of leisure, but the women’s disheveled clothing and relaxed postures suggest a life outside the rigid norms of bourgeois society. Courbet was working at a time of strict social codes, where the display of wealth and status was paramount. Yet here, he depicts women who seem unconcerned with those expectations. Art historians have suggested the ladies are 'grisettes' or working girls. To understand the painting fully we need to research into archives and delve into social histories that tell us more about Parisian life at the time. Courbet's image invites us to consider the complex social realities that underpin even the most apparently simple scenes.