Low Tide 1865

Gustave Courbet made this painting, Low Tide, using oil on canvas. Courbet was a key figure in the development of Realism in France, and actively challenged the academic conventions of the French Salon system. Look how Courbet focuses on the ordinary aspects of nature, capturing the muted colors of the sea and sky in a manner devoid of romanticism. The painting can be viewed as a reflection of the social and political climate of mid-19th century France, in which artists began to turn away from idealized depictions of the world, instead embracing the gritty reality of everyday life. Courbet’s approach reflected a broader cultural shift towards democracy and egalitarianism, challenging the established norms of the art world, as he depicts the landscape with a sense of immediacy and directness. Art historians use exhibition records, critical reviews, and biographical accounts to examine the context in which art is made. The meaning of art is always contingent on its historical and institutional context.