Realism (arts) Facts for Kids

This article is about Realism (disambiguation). For other uses, see Realism (arts) (disambiguation).

Bonjour, Monsieur Courbet, painted in 1854. This is a famous Realist painting by Gustave Courbet.

Realism in art means trying to show things as they really are. It avoids making things look fake or adding magical elements. People often use the word naturalism to mean the same thing, but they are a bit different.

Naturalism in art focuses on showing objects exactly as they appear. It tries to avoid any changes or distortions. This style became popular during the Renaissance in Europe. It grew with new ways of drawing, like linear perspective, which made flat pictures look three-dimensional.

Realism is a specific art movement that started in France after the French Revolution of 1848. Realist artists wanted to show everyday life, even the ordinary or difficult parts. They were interested in common people and new ideas about fairness in society. Artists like Gustave Courbet painted scenes that were not always beautiful. They rejected Romanticism, an art style that focused on strong emotions and imagination. Romanticism had been very popular in French art and writing since the late 18th century.

In the 1800s in Europe, "Naturalism" was sometimes seen as a separate part of Realism. This group tried to avoid talking about politics or social problems. They wanted their art to seem more scientific, like studying natural history.

Realism also appeared in other art forms. These include:

Verismo in opera, which showed real-life stories.
Literary realism, a style of writing that focused on everyday life.
Theatrical realism, which made plays feel more true to life.
Italian neorealist cinema, a film style showing real people and their struggles.

Images for kids

Francisco Goya, Charles IV of Spain and His Family, 1800–01
Eilif Peterssen, The Salmon Fisher, 1889
Henri Biva, c. 1905–06, Matin à Villeneuve (From Waters Edge), oil on canvas, 151.1 x 125.1 cm.
Lord Leighton's Cimabue's Celebrated Madonna of 1853–55 is at the end of a long tradition of illusionism in painting, but is not Realist in the sense of Courbet's work of the same period.
Bas-de-page of the Baptism of Christ, "Hand G" (Jan van Eyck?), Turin-Milan Hours. An advanced illusionistic work for c. 1425, with the dove of the Holy Ghost in the sky.
Woodcutting, miniature from a set of Labours of the Months by Simon Bening, c. 1550
Late Gothic Pietà from Lubiąż in Lower Silesia, Poland, now in National Museum in Warsaw
Jean-François Raffaëlli, Outskirts of Paris, 1880s
William Bliss Baker, American Naturalist painter, Fallen Monarchs, 1886
Pekka Halonen, Finnish Naturalist, Pioneers in Karelia, 1900
Diego Velázquez, The Farmers' Lunch, c. 1620
Adriaen Brouwer, Interior of a Tavern, c. 1630
Quiringh van Brekelenkam, Interior of a Tailor's Shop, 1653
Giacomo Ceruti, Women Working on Pillow Lace, 1720s
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, Woman Cleaning Turnips, c. 1738, Alte Pinakothek.
Jean-Baptiste Greuze, The Laundress, 1761
Sir Luke Fildes, The Widower, 1876
William Bell Scott Iron and Coal, 1855–1860
Juan Manuel Blanes, Yellow Fever Episode. 1871
Albert Edelfelt, The Luxembourg Gardens. 1887
Gustave Courbet, The Stone Breakers, 1849
Jean-François Millet, The Gleaners, 1857
Honoré Daumier, The Chess Players, 1863
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Young Girl Reading, 1868
Jules Bastien-Lepage, October, 1878, National Gallery of Victoria
Aleksander Gierymski Feast of Trumpets, 1884
Vasily Perov, The Drowned, 1867
Vladimir Makovsky, "Philanthropists", 1874
Ilya Repin, Religious Procession in Kursk Province, 1880–1883
Hubert von Herkomer, Hard Times 1885

Realism (arts) facts for kids

Images for kids

See also