The Stream in Bremen 1865

Gustave Courbet made this landscape painting with oil on canvas. Look at the way the paint is handled. Courbet was known for his direct approach, applying paint thickly, sometimes even with a palette knife rather than a brush. See how the impasto creates a sense of depth and texture, mirroring the ruggedness of the natural scene? This wasn’t just about depicting a landscape; it was about the act of painting itself. By emphasizing the materiality of the paint, Courbet brought a new level of honesty to his work. In his focus on the here and now and by bringing attention to the tools used in the production of art, Courbet was part of a broader shift in the art world. By engaging in this method, this approach elevated the status of the artist as a worker, making his work more aligned with the values of the rising industrial age. This shows that even landscapes can reveal insights into the social and economic transformations of the 19th century.