Courbet, Gustave

Gustave Courbet, (born June 10, 1819, Ornans, France—died December 31, 1877, La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland), French painter and leader of the Realist movement. Courbet rebelled against the Romantic painting of his day, turning to everyday events for his subject matter. His huge shadowed canvases with their solid groups of figures, such as The Artist’s Studio (1854–55), drew sharp criticism from the establishment. From the 1860s a more sensuous and colourful manner prevailed in his work.