Art is the Solution

A Burial at Ornans  Source: Wikimedia Commons I am of two minds when it comes to Realism in art. While I generally believe that art should portray the details of real life and not shy away from the gritty aspects of reality, it is undoubtable that less realistic art is often more fun and enjoyable to look at. Yet, however you feel about Realism in art, it is impossible to deny that Realism plays a crucial role in the history of art. The Realist movement in Europe was pioneered in the mid-nineteenth century by French artists, including Gustave Courbet, who is widely considered to be one of the great masters of European Realism. The Realist movement was a reaction against the drama and emotional excesses of Romanticism and the pomp and stoicism of Neo-Classicism. Instead, the Realists sought to capture the reality of everyday life, complete with mundane and unpleasant details. Courbet’s A Burial at Ornans is one of the most famous paintings of this age (although Courbet and his art ...

For one reason or another, self-portraits are massively popular in the world of art. There are many possible explanations for this. For obvious reasons, most people are deeply interested in themselves, and self-portraits eliminate the need for a willing and cooperative model. However, the genre of the self-portrait also offers unique opportunities for experimentation and introspection that are unavailable in other forms of art. That being said, some self-portraits are just plain weird and crazy. So, today I’m going to share some of the most unusual self-portraits I could find. Let’s dive in! The Desperate Man by Gustave Courbet - I have to be honest, this self-portrait holds a sort of panache that is almost unparalleled in art history. The Desperate Man captures the artist Gustave Courbet at the tender age of twenty-four. The self-portrait portrays Courbet in a moment of emotional turmoil. The artist stares wildly out at the viewer as he runs his fingers through his hair. His shirt bi...