Realism was a style of art adopted in Europe during the mid-19th century. Most people think that realism art is similar to romanticism art(which is a type of art that is to invokes inspiration of all sorts). The person to thank for this beautiful art form is Gustave Courbet. Before his emergence, the artists didn't depict scenes as they saw them, instead they idealized them, and erased earthly flaws or imperfections of the world before them. Gustave saw their art form as detrimental to painting society, as it exterminated any sense of individuality.
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The most famous realism painter in the 19th century is, Ilya Yefimovich Repin, born August 1844-September 1930. He was a Ukrainian-born Russian painter. Repin is known for being a painter of historical figures. Learning his trade from painter of icons, he devoted himself to history painting. In 1894, he became a professor of historical painting at the academy in St. Petersburg. A quote from him " I am interested only in those examples of art that aim at perfecting art itself, only in the purely painterly aspects." Repin's reputation and significance grew with time, but even as a well known and respected artist Repin still strived to advance his work so that he can create depth. A big lesson to take from Repin is his devotion to art, so much that he learns new styles and techniques to improve his art even in later age.
Ilya Repin - The Demonstration on October 17, 1905:
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