The appearance of "A Burial at Ornans" in 1851 by French painter Gustave Courbet at the Paris Salon art exhibition not only sparked tough criticism among viewers, but also propelled the relatively unknown artist into fame and notoriety. The painting was debuted in a time when the desired form was the classical tradition which took the art world by storm during the High Renaissance period. It is among this tradition that Gustave improved upon, yet introduced elements that distanced it among what was deemed socially acceptable.
[...] “A Burial at Ornans” received inspiration after the death of Gustave's uncle. Yet, the real meaning behind the painting symbolized the death of Romanticism art, as quoted by Gustave himself. However, the painting does lends itself to classical motifs of the High Renaissance by putting emphasis on the subjects in the foreground, arranging them in a frieze like fashion. Yet, departs from the classical art theme by using ordinary people and not typical those typically featured from religious allegory, history, Greek and Roman mythology, or wealthy patrons idealized and depicted with grandiose quality. [...]
Online reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee