River and Cliff 1865

Gustave Courbet probably painted this oil on canvas, River and Cliff, in the mid-19th century. This image is a study of light, texture, and form, and it embodies Courbet’s commitment to Realism. France in the 1800s was undergoing dramatic social and political upheaval. There was a growing interest in the scientific study of nature and an increasing awareness of social inequality. The Realist movement in art emerged as a rejection of Romanticism's emphasis on emotion and idealism. Courbet sought to depict the world as he saw it, without idealization or sentimentality. Here, the river and cliff are rendered with a sense of immediacy, focusing on the tactile qualities of the stone, water, and foliage. This reflected the democratic ideals of the time, challenging the traditional hierarchy of genres and celebrating the beauty of the everyday. Art historians often turn to letters, journals, and political writings, to find ways to understand art as something contingent on social and institutional context.