Realism: the evolution of a concept

The concept of “realism” (lat. Realis – material) is one of the most difficult to define, since it is applicable both to everyday life and to the sphere of art. In a broad sense, it denotes the desire for a fuller, deeper and more comprehensive reflection of reality in all its manifestations. In everyday life, it is often identified with the concept of “pragmatism” and means a clear and utilitarian action aimed at practical benefit or benefit, with the main goal of practical application and use.

In the field of artistic activity, the meaning of realism is even more complex and contradictory. Its boundaries are changeable and indefinite; stylistically it is multifaceted and multivariate. Moreover, in art there can be and does not exist absolute realism. The work of an individual artist, who embodied his characteristic features, cannot be limited by the framework of only one artistic style or direction. Are, for example, G. Courbet, I. E. Repin or I. N. Kramskoy absolute realists? Is the work of the romanticists W. Turner and F. Goya devoid of realistic tendencies?

Most often, realism is understood as the reproduction of reality as it is. And in this sense, realism was born together and simultaneously with art, being its most important property. The French writer and theorist of realism J. Chanfleurie (1821-1889) noted:

“As for realism, I consider this word one of the best jokes of our era … Realism is as old as the world, realists have existed in all ages …”

Prints of a human hand made by a primitive artist, masterpieces of a Roman sculptural portrait striking with the ruthless truth of characteristics, realistic portraits of the Renaissance, paintings by Caravaggio, Velazquez and Chardin, depicting the everyday life of the “lower classes”, genre paintings of the “Little Dutchmen” in a certain sense are realistic compositions. But only in the 19th century. realism was destined to find its own special style and take shape in a new artistic direction.

The term “realism” was first used by J. Chanfleury to denote art that opposed romanticism and symbolism. In 1857, he published a book called Realism, in which he proposed to consider realism as something indefinite, changeable, represented by a combination of contradictory elements that most accurately reflected the essence of a given era. In the same years, the journal “Realism” was published, which provided support for a new direction in art.

The true date of birth of realism is most often associated with the work of the French artist Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), who opened his personal exhibition in Paris in 1855 under the title “Pavilion of Realism”. Of the thirteen paintings by Courbet, presented to the jury of the opening World Exhibition, eleven were selected. Two paintings of fundamental importance for the artist (“Funeral at Ornans” and “Atelier”) were rejected. Courbet expressed his disagreement to obey the requirements of the official art in a declaration put forward, where his main creative principles were proclaimed:

“The title of realist was awarded to me in the same way as people of the 1830s were awarded the title of romantics. The names never gave the correct idea of ​​things … I studied the art of the ancients and the art of the modern outside of any system and bias. I no longer wanted to imitate some and copy others. It was not even in my mind to achieve the idle goal of “art for art.” No! I just wanted … to be able to convey morals, ideas, the image of my era in my assessment, to be not only an artist, but also a person; in a word, creating living art is my goal. “

The reaction of the public was not long in coming. Courbet, along with his realism, immediately became a seductive target for critics and witches. Some argued that Courbet, “hiding behind realism, terribly slanders nature,” others preferred sharper attacks:

“Monsieur Courbet strove to portray people as they are, as ugly and rude as he sees them … There is nothing noble, pure, moral in the head that guides the hand … he is as much an artisan in painting as others are in shoemaking or furniture “.

In one of the comedy scenes staged in the theater, a character named Realist, disguised as Courbet, expounded his creative credo to the Greek playwright Aristophanes:

To be a realist, to write truthfully is not enough.
Writing ugliness is the road to the ideal.
Let my canvases settle in disgust:
There is no truth, where there is even a drop of beauty.
I strive to weed out its traces with roots …

Close attention to the world around, nature, social relations and individual characteristics of a person determined the essence of the realistic direction in art. Having become the master of thoughts, realism very soon showed itself in various types of art: painting and graphics, sculpture and music, and especially in literature. The works of outstanding writers-realists: O. Balzac, Stendhal, P. Merimee, G. Flaubert, E. Zola (France), C. Dickens and W. Thackeray (Great Britain), the great classics of Russian literature – I. S. Turgenev, I. A. Goncharova, N. S. Leskov, F. M. Dostoevsky, JT. N. Tolstoy – gives a realistic picture of society. The new artistic direction quickly took on a European scale. The features of realism are also reflected in the art of Latin America, the USA and Asia.

In the depths of realistic art, a special view of the world was formulated, in which many aspects of the surrounding reality were analyzed and criticized. What was criticized in the first place? The inhuman essence of the exploiting system, the misery and suffering of the disadvantaged people, the system of moral relations, the politics and life philosophy of those in power. “Tearing off all and every masks” becomes one of the main criteria of realistic art. That is why 19th century realism. often referred to as critical. While condemning the foundations of the social system, realist artists at the same time asserted the humanistic ideals of Good, Justice, universal Equality and Happiness. The critical orientation of realism found its most vivid expression in works of literature and fine art (everyday and historical painting,satirical graphics and book illustrations).



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