The Source of the Lison 1866

Gustave Courbet’s “The Source of the Lison” is rendered in oil paint, a medium synonymous with the fine arts. Here, Courbet masterfully employs its inherent qualities of texture and color to create a captivating landscape. The pigment is applied thickly, especially in areas of cascading water and moss-covered rocks, giving the painting a tactile quality that contrasts with the fluidity of the water. Courbet was deeply committed to Realism, so his choice of subject – a natural spring – reflects a desire to depict the world as he saw it, without romanticizing or idealizing it. The materiality of paint itself becomes a key element in this project, with brushstrokes standing in for the rough surfaces of the natural world. There is an inherent tension between the industrial production of oil paint, a commodity made possible by an increasingly capitalist society, and the untouched landscape it represents. Ultimately, “The Source of the Lison” reminds us that art is not just about what is depicted, but also how it is made, and what that making implies.