Realism and Impressionism

... Wednesday 8/3/2000 Realism and Impressionism Realism: In art and literature, realism is an attempt to describe human behaviour and surroundings or to represent figures and objects exactly as they act or appear in life. Attempts at realism have been made periodically throughout history in all the arts; the term is, however, generally restricted to a movement that began in the mid-19th century, in reaction to the highly subjective approach of Romanticism. Realism is concerned directly with what is absorbed by the senses. In art, although a clearly defined realist school has never evolved, a realist approach has been manifested in different ways at various times. The term realist, used to describe a work of art, has often simply meant that "ugly" objects or figures are represented, as opposed to those considered "beautiful". Frequently used to describe scenes of humble life, the term implies a criticism of social conditions. Realists: Gustave Courbet, Honore Daumoer, Jean-Francais

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