They wanted an epic Biblical image, or one from a Greek myth. He gave them a painting of a modern-day funeral. Gustave Courbet, A Burial at Ornans by Dr. Claire Black McCoy
Like a hipster on social media, Courbet uses this self-portrait to vaunt his progressive politics. Gustave Courbet, Bonjour Monsieur Courbet by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Rejected from a national exhibition, Courbet simply launched his own show to display this enormous work. Gustave Courbet, The Painter’s Studio: A Real ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Courbet chooses the real over the ideal in this harsh look at the labor that built the modern world. Gustave Courbet, The Stonebreakers by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker