Priya Kapoor
Paintings that are close to realistic are often referred to as realist art. Realism, in the arts, is the accurate, detailed, and unembellished depiction of nature or contemporary life. It is characterized by its focus on everyday activities and life, especially among the middle or lower classes, without romantic idealization. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with naturalism, though naturalism seeks to depict objects with minimal distortion and is tied to the development of linear perspective and illusionism in Renaissance Europe. In the 20th century, photorealism emerged as an art style, characterized by its hyper-realistic quality, often appearing more real than reality.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Realism, Naturalism, Photorealism, Super Realism, Sharp Focus Realism, Hyper Realism |
| Definition | Faithful representation of reality, based on objective reality |
| Subject Matter | Everyday activities and life, primarily among the middle or lower class |
| Style | Rejects imaginative idealization in favor of close observation of outward appearances |
| Origin | France, post-French Revolution of 1848 |
| Notable Artists | Gustave Courbet, Chuck Close, Jean Francois Millet, Honoré Daumier, Caravaggio, Luke Fildes, Hubert von Herkomer |
| Comparison with Other Styles | More realistic than Impressionism, Expressionism, and Fauvism |
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What You'll Learn
Naturalism
The term "naturalism" is often used interchangeably with "realism", although they are not necessarily synonymous. Naturalism, as a concept in Western art, aims to portray objects with minimal distortion. It is linked to the evolution of linear perspective and illusionism during the Renaissance in Europe.
In the 17th century, the debate between "classical-idealism" and "naturalism" emerged in Italy. Followers of Caravaggio, known as Caravaggisti, painted religious scenes set in contemporary Italian cities' backstreets and embraced the "naturalist" label. Caravaggio's contemporary, Bellori, referred to "Those who glory in the name of naturalists" (naturalisti).
Realism, as an art movement, emerged in France after the French Revolution of 1848. Artists like Gustave Courbet focused on mundane, ugly, or sordid subjects, reflecting a renewed interest in the lives of commoners and the rise of leftist politics. They rejected Romanticism, which had previously dominated French literature and art. Courbet was the first artist to consciously embrace and promote the realist aesthetic.
Realism in its broad sense encompasses various artistic currents in different civilizations. It can be found in ancient Hellenistic Greek sculptures accurately portraying boxers and decrepit old women. The works of 17th-century painters like Caravaggio, Dutch genre painters, Spanish painters such as José de Ribera and Diego Velázquez, and the Le Nain brothers in France are also considered realist.
In Britain, artists such as Hubert von Herkomer and Luke Fildes gained recognition for their realist paintings addressing social issues. Realism in literature, as defined by Kornelije Kvas, involves "the realistic figuration and re-figuration of reality, forming logical constructs that are similar to our usual notion of reality, without violating the laws of natural sciences, psychological and social ones."
While naturalism and realism strive for accurate representations, other art movements depart from this objective. Impressionism, for instance, captures the light of a moment and is characterised by an unfinished and rough painting style. Expressionism and Fauvism, which emerged in the 20th century, use bold and unrealistic colours to depict life not as it is but as it feels or appears to the artist. Expressionists like Edvard Munch convey the grotesque and horror in everyday life, while Fauvists like Henri Matisse and George Braque create compositions that idealise or exoticise reality.
Photorealism, which developed in the 1960s and 1970s as a reaction to Abstract Expressionism, goes beyond reality, capturing even the most minute details. Artists like Chuck Close, Audrey Flack, and Richard Estes create hyper-realistic artworks that are often mistaken for photographs.
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Photorealism
Paintings that are close to realistic are often referred to as "realist" art. Realism, as a literary movement, is defined as "the faithful representation of reality", focusing on depicting everyday activities and life, primarily among the middle or lower class in society, without romantic idealization or dramatization. The term is often used interchangeably with naturalism, although they are not synonymous. Naturalism, as an idea relating to visual representation in Western art, seeks to depict objects with minimal distortion and is tied to the development of linear perspective and illusionism in Renaissance Europe.
The first generation of American Photorealists includes painters such as Ralph Goings, Chuck Close, Richard Estes, and Audrey Flack, who often worked with mundane or familiar subjects in traditional art genres like landscapes, portraits, and still lifes. Photorealists reintroduced the importance of process and deliberate planning, with Close, for example, first putting down a light pencil matrix for scaling up a photograph, then sketching the image with an airbrush, and finally hand-painting in the many details. Photorealists often used mechanical or semi-mechanical means to transfer information to the canvas, such as projecting a slide onto a canvas or using a grid system.
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Hyperrealism
Hyperrealist painters and sculptors use photographs as a reference source to create detailed and definitive renderings that often incorporate narrative and emotive elements. Unlike strict photorealism, which tends to omit human emotion, political value, and narrative details, hyperrealism presents its subjects as living, tangible objects. Hyperrealist artworks focus on the meticulous depiction of objects and details, with an emphasis on surface textures, lighting effects, and shadows. These elements are manipulated to create an illusion of reality that surpasses the original reference image.
The development of hyperrealism is closely tied to advancements in photographic technology. The emergence of digital photography and improvements in resolution played a significant role in the resurgence of hyperrealism in the early 21st century. Hyperrealist artists utilise a range of techniques, such as aerographic and glazing methods, to achieve their desired level of detail and realism.
Today, hyperrealism continues to be an important part of the contemporary visual art scene, attracting large crowds to exhibitions and generating enthusiasm among art lovers worldwide. Notable hyperrealist artists include Ron Mueck, an Australian sculptor known for his monumental artworks, and Gottfried Helnwein, an Irish artist of Austrian descent who explores social and political themes in his work.
While hyperrealism is a distinct style, it shares similarities with other art movements. It evolved from pop art, and like its predecessor, it often focuses on mundane, everyday imagery. Additionally, hyperrealism is related to the concept of naturalism, which seeks to depict objects with minimal distortion, using linear perspective and illusionism.
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Impressionism
The Impressionists found that they could capture the momentary and transient effects of sunlight by painting outdoors or en plein air. They portrayed overall visual effects instead of details, and used short "broken" brush strokes of mixed and pure unmixed colour—not blended smoothly. They also painted realistic scenes of everyday life in natural settings, often outdoors, attempting to capture a moment as experienced. Previously, paintings were accomplished in a studio, whether landscape art, still life, or portrait, with an emphasis on verisimilitude.
The Impressionists' work was considered radical for its time, violating the rules of academic painting. They constructed their pictures from freely brushed colours that took precedence over lines and contours, following the example of painters such as Eugène Delacroix and J. M. W. Turner. Their work is recognized today for its modernity, embodied in its rejection of established styles, its incorporation of new technology and ideas, and its depiction of modern life.
In addition to their radical technique, the bright colours of Impressionist canvases were shocking to eyes accustomed to the more sober colours of Academic painting. Many of the independent artists chose not to apply the thick golden varnish that painters customarily used to tone down their works. The paints themselves were more vivid as well. The nineteenth century saw the development of synthetic pigments for artists’ paints, providing vibrant shades of blue, green, and yellow that painters had never used before.
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Social Realism
The term "realism" is often used interchangeably with "naturalism", although they are not synonymous. Naturalism seeks to depict objects with minimal distortion and is linked to the development of linear perspective and illusionism in Renaissance Europe. On the other hand, realism, while based on naturalistic representation, often refers to a specific art movement that originated in France after the 1848 Revolution. Realist painters like Gustave Courbet focused on the mundane, ugly, and sordid aspects of life, rejecting the Romanticism that had previously dominated French art.
The Social Realism movement in America was influenced by the French social realist tradition of artists like Honoré Daumier, Gustave Courbet, and Jean-François Millet. It also built upon the earlier Ashcan School, founded in New York City in the late 19th century by artists like John Sloan and George Luks, who captured life in the city's working-class neighbourhoods. During the Great Depression, the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) commissioned work from Social Realist artists, including Philip Evergood and John Steuart Curry.
In Mexico, the social realism movement was closely linked to the Mexican muralist movement of the 1920s and 1930s, which was characterised by its political, often Marxist, undertones. Mexican muralists like Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and José Clemente Orozco created works that critiqued the social and political situation of post-revolutionary Mexico.
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Frequently asked questions
Paintings that are close to realistic are called "realist" paintings. Realism is a literary movement that focuses on showing everyday activities and life, primarily among the middle or lower class in society, without romantic idealization or dramatization.
Some examples of "realist" paintings include:
- The Winnower (1848) by Millet
- Burial at Ornans (1849-50) by Gustave Courbet
- Stone Breakers (1849) by Gustave Courbet
Some art styles that are similar to "realism" include "naturalism" and "photorealism". Naturalism seeks to depict objects with the least possible distortion and is tied to the development of linear perspective and illusionism in Renaissance Europe. Photorealism, on the other hand, developed in the late 1960s and '70s in reaction to Abstract Expressionism. This style often seems more real than reality, with no detail left out.
