Famous paintings

As every period in art is characterised by the works produced by its artists; so is realism a manifestation of the principles held by those who aspired to its true ideology. In its broadest sense, realism was seen as the pursuit of truth through art to depict the life, conditions and hardships of the contemporary citizens, more notably the poor of society. These hardships were seen as imbalances in society which could be corrected through scientific application as realism left no room for the idyllic approaches of romanticism and classicism. Some of the more prominent works of the realism era can include the following:

Horse Ploughing at the Nivernais is a composition by French surrealist artist Marie-Rosa Bonheur which was her first great achievement following a French government commission. Bonheur is perhaps more well known for her tendencies to dress up in men's clothing, something she attributed to the fact that it gave her a greater freedom of movement when working with animals. She was also seen as an early feminist.

Three Women in Church is a painting by Wilhelm Leibl who was born in Cologne in 1861. Leibl studied under various artists at the Munich academy until he witnessed a public display by French realist Gustav Courbet, which prompted him to undertake a visit to Paris in that same year. Upon his return, Leibl moved to the Bavarian country side where he would further develop his art and focus on the countryside and peasant life that filled his immediate surrounds. His work was void of any personal impression, something characteristic of the realist movement.

L'Origine du monde, Burial at Ornans and After Dinner at Ornans include some of the most famous works by an artist who can be regarded as the founder of the term "realism" and subsequently the movement, Gustave Courbet. He was quoted saying "I am fifty years old and I have always lived in freedom; let me end my life free; when I am dead let this be said of me: 'He belonged to no school, to no church, to no institution, to no academy, least of all to any régime except the régime of liberty." A possible interpretation for this can lead to an understanding of the realist doctrine, where purity and the pursuit of truth in art are regarded as something unspoiled by the imagination. Corbet never completed any extensive formal education, but focussed more on gaining a variety of experiences in his young life by copying the works of artists from various nationalities.