Jo, The Beautiful Irish Girl 

Gustave Courbet painted "Jo, The Beautiful Irish Girl" at some point in the 1860s. During this decade, France experienced rapid industrialization and social change. Courbet's artistic circle was deeply engaged in debates about social justice. "Jo" is a portrait, a genre historically associated with the upper classes, but here Courbet represents a working-class woman. The sitter, Joanna Hiffernan, was the mistress of Courbet's friend James McNeill Whistler. Courbet’s representation of her red hair was considered unconventional and sensual at the time. Whether or not this challenges the institutions of art is a matter of debate. Courbet, in his time, was considered part of the avant-garde movement, which was a progressive challenge to academic art. However, as he gained success, he became more conservative. To understand the painting's meaning more deeply, we can explore writings by art critics from that era.