Realism It is an artistic movement contrary to romanticism in painting and literature, which began in France in the 19th century.
Painting in Realism
The 19th century constitutes a fruitful stage in the development of all the Arts, especially in the pictorial ones. whose basic concept is:
Reproduce the outside world, that is, the object that motivates the artist's interest, faithfully, just as it is.
The Romantic School in vogue at the beginning of the century, had disappeared totally displaced by the Realist School, which, as in Literature, tried to represent the external world in all its beauty and ugliness, that is, faithfully, as it is or is believed to be seen. , without trying to idealize it as the classics and the romantics did.
Realism, initiated by Coubert around 1850, scandalized critics because of its audacity:bringing more ordinary subjects to the canvas, no sublimity trait was branded as offensive to public taste. However, both the aforementioned author, as well as Millet, Corot and many others have left us masterful works, inspired by the daily spectacle and country work.
Millet, Juan Francisco (1815 – 1875)
Famous French painter, immortalized as one of the most distinguished landscape masters.
His characteristics were:
– Predilection for landscape painting.
– Supreme mastery and fidelity in his works.
– Great human sensitivity, capable of being moved by the hardships of the peasant worker.
– Love of nature, a beautiful source of inspiration, achieving total unity between the environment and man.
His works are greatly admired: Angelus, The gleaners, The sower, The woodcutter, The villager , etc.
Coubert, Gustav (1819 – 1877)
Notable French painter who followed the realistic line. He is considered to be the immediate predecessor of Impressionism.
Literature in Realism
The main representatives of realism in literature are:Emilio Zola, Fedor Dostoieski and Julio Veme.
Zola, Emile (1840 – 1902)
A prominent figure in French novels, he is the creator of the Naturalist or Experimental School, that is, of that current that emphasizes the power or influence exerted by heredity on the human nature of the characters who star in his novels.
His characteristics were:
– Emphasizes the influence of heredity and the environment on man and society; for he tried to explain:«how a character, a way of being, which has inherited certain tendencies, placed in a certain environment, has to develop and flourish or perish, according to the strength or weakness it has inherited and the circumstances that surround it» .
– He is also distinguished by the crudeness of his paintings and the thoroughness of his descriptions, as well as by his great spirit of observation.
– He represents the characters in his novels “as passive elements, slaves to heredity and their own weaknesses, nervous, brutal and miserable”;
– He has a heavy and fuzzy style.
His works were The four gospels in 20 volumes; a cycle of novels entitled The Reugón-Macquart , which is the story of the life of a family; The four cities , etc.
Flaubert, Gustav (1821 – 1880)
Noted French novelist, founder of the Realistic School.
His characteristics were:
– He managed to make the novel an exact painting of life.
– The description is distinguished by its objectivity, precision and thoroughness.
– Consecration to work in a patient and methodical way.
His works were:Madame Bovary , that was his sweet love; Sentimental education; Three stories; The Temptation of Saint Anthony , etc.
Dostoevsky, Fedor Mikhainilivich (1821 – 1881)
Distinguished Russian novelist, master of the psychological novel; consecrated as one of the great writers of Universal Literature.
His characteristics were:
– Reflects in his works the soul of his people:melancholic, combative and mysterious.
– Extraordinary psychological penetration, that is to say that I explore in his novels the soul of men and peoples.
– Predilection and sympathy for humble people, for the working class.
– Owner of a kind spirit and love of justice.
– His personality was complex, mystical and sentimental.
His works enjoy deserved fame: Crime and Punishment , Poor people , The Karamazov brothers , Humble and offended , etc.
Verne, Jules (1828 – 1905)
Famous French novelist, brilliant precursor who shocked the world with his strange and portentous anticipations; considered, therefore, as a prophet. Creator of the geographical scientific novel. He anticipated by nearly a century the great conquests that man achieved in science and technology, whose maximum evolution was man's trip to the Moon and his happy return to Earth.
His fertile imagination allowed him to glimpse the discoveries that scientific progress would bring to civilization. In his work, Jules Verne anticipated, for more than half a century, the discovery of a world of inventions and technological applications —submarine and aerial ships, automobiles, lunar missiles, etc., which then seemed like fantasy and which today have become reality.
His characteristics were:
– Great precursor, of extraordinary anticipation, of the formidable scientific and technological development achieved by man, especially in the 20th century.
– Of fertile imagination, the narratives of his novels have, however, a scientific foundation that makes them believable.
– His style is clear and pleasant, since his novels are preferably dedicated to youth.
– He also cultivated the historical novel; His books enjoyed great popularity.
His works are among the most renowned and include: Voyage Around the World in Eighty Days ; From the Earth to the Moon; A journey to the center of the Earth; The Mysterious Island , etc.