Realism
Modern everyday life gets the right to be depicted seriously.
Key ideas
Courbet and other realists addressed work, provincial life, and the physical presence of ordinary people. Not only the method of writing is significant, but also the choice of subject: an everyday scene could occupy a scale previously associated with a historical or religious picture.
Looking deeper
Realism as a 19th century movement is distinct from the general word "realistic". The accurate rendering of a subject does not in itself determine the historical program. Ask who is being depicted, what living conditions are being seen, and how the work relates to the art institutions of its time.
Courbet, "Funeral at Ornans"; Millais, "The Ear Gatherers".
Find the work in the museum's official catalog and start with a description of the visible details.Select a contemporary everyday subject that deserves a big picture and explain your choice.
External educational material or museum catalogue. The above review is not a literal translation of the source.