Realism Art Movement – Characteristics

1. Realist paintings depict the harsh, everyday reality of ordinary people from the middle and lower classes of society, for example, The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet.

2. Realism is a sympathetic portrayal of poor, urban and rural workers in bent postures, struggling with their hard, manual labor, for example, The Stone Breakers by Gustave Courbet.

3. The bleak paintings feature a palette of dark colors to emphasize the plight of workers. The subjects are shown serious-looking and humble – there’s never a cheerful sentiment – for example, Third Class Carriage by Honoré Daumier.