A Burial at Ornans

19th-century France had many political and social issues going on that were contradicting with the artists works at that time. Realism was the new style that had emerged into the French art world. One artists paintings were especially offensive to the bourgeoisie. Gustave Courbet's paintings embodied historic events that were captured in vivid realism. One of his paintings, which had made him one of the most famous 19th century artists in France, is called A Burial at Ornans. The harsh realism of this artwork is what offended the bourgeoisie.

A Burial at Ornans was made around 1850, in France. This painting is like a memorial the funeral of Gustave Courbet's great-uncle which was held in September of 1848 in a small town of Ornansin, the birth place of the artist. An ordinary rural funeral had been captured in this painting with unbelievable realism. During those times, making a painting of a funeral or a similar event was traditionally reserved for heroes or religious people from the history. That is why many people were offended that an unheard-of-before great-uncle was given such honor and fame to his death through Courbet's painting. 

I don't agree with the viewpoints that the bourgeoisie had on artworks during the 19th century. A Burial at Ornans is a very beautifully composed painting that acknowledges the importance of dignity in the life and death of an ordinary person. Grievers surround the open grave, which is at the center front of the painting, alongside a priest, a gravedigger, friends and family who are mourning the deceased. The grouping of mourners and attendants is not random, but rather stays in line with the horizon, forming an "S" shape, so that not one persons head draws up into the sky. In the background, the only thing, aside from the landscape and nature, that extends into the sky is a cross with the crucified body of Christ that is held by a religious attendant. The colors of the painting are very dim and monochromatic, which match the mood of the event and the faces of the grievers, who are captured in great detail. The only bright color in the painting could be seen in the white dog that is standing above the grave, looking back at the grieving women, and in the clothes of the holy men standing behind the priest. There are two men dressed in red, which I assume are guards, that also stand out from the monochromatic setting of the funeral and crowd of mourners. Also, the earthbound nature of life is indicated by framing the figures in the painting with dirt and rocks. Everything in this painting is arranged perfectly to match the mood of the event and to honor the life of an ordinary man.

I really enjoyed the Realism that can be seen in Gustave Courbet’s painting, A Burial at Ornans. The painting honors a life of an ordinary human being that was not of royal blood or a religious figure. He was a simple every day man, just like most of us. I am glad that finally some artists came up and decided to change up the rules a little bit about painting only prestige life and famous historical events, and added Realism to their paintings.