France is a land of many famous painters. One of MY favorites is Gustave Courbet (GUSTAAF CORE-BAY). Courbet was born and grew up near where I live in a town called Ornans (OAR-NAAN).
If you recognize some of the paintings above, that’s because Courbet painted scenes of nature from around our area. That’s why we call it Le Pays du Courbet.
Courbet was the most famous painter of what artists call “realism.” In a time before cameras, Courbet took a style of painting that artists usually reserved for painting portraits or pictures of people’s houses and applied it to scenes of nature or scenes of everyday life.
Today, many people paint in the realistic style, but old Gus got it all started. Americans, particularly should appreciate Courbet because his style of painting became very well known in the United States. In fact, painters like Thomas Moran made places in the Western United States famous and are often credited with helping to establish American National Parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite.
Courbet influenced many other artists, including Eduoard Manet and, indirectly, many of the French Impressionists. He deserves a place as one of the most important and influential artists in France. You can see his pictures in Museums all over America, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities as well.
So if you go to an art museum, ask if they have a Courbet and tell them that you know where he lived!
Ornans, France, birthplace of Gus Courbet and home to the Courbet museum.
Courbet was also a trouble maker. He participated in many demonstrations and attempted revolutions and spent many years in jail.
"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 regime except the regime of liberty."When the police were looking for him for damaging a monument to Napoleon II, Courbet went across the border into Switzerland where he lived out the rest of his life.
Unfortunately, Courbet liked greyhounds. Here comes Ned the Dog!
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