Was Realism a social movement as much as an artistic one Were the Essay

Was Realism a social movement as much as an artistic one Were the artists' messages and calls for changes of attitude more critical than the art itself Please use specific art examples - Essay Example The realists’ messages and calls were critical as they were equally portrayed in their arts. In the artwork of Gustave Courbet in 1856 entitled â€Å"Les Demoiselles du bord de la Seine† for instance, he painted two women resting under a tree. The color of the painting is prominently green which are contrasted by the red and white clothes of the women, usually common in Courbet’s era. The heavy lines of the painting give a smooth texture to the painting, giving it an almost photographic appearance that makes a viewer feel like he is looking at the scene himself and not just a painting. The balance of color and space in the painting does not only present what the painter wants to show but it also makes the artwork appealing to the eyes. As to form and shape, the painter was able to capture how the models would have looked like in real life, being true to their proportions without exaggerating features for emphasis. The painting also shows good spacing between the figures so that even though the plane used is two-dimensional, it shows a three-dimensional picture with the sleeping woman nearer the viewer and the second woman a little farther from the first. The trees also seem to be a distance away from the women, creating a realistic picture which is the message of