Realism
Realism is the general term for art in a style that approximates reality. In this sense the term is not applied to any particular period style or time, that is, there are many different forms of realism in the history of art. In the 19th century, Realism (with a capital R) stood for a movement in French art that opposed Romanticism and from which Impressionism grew. Art throughout Europe felt the influence of the Barbizon School in France, whose leading exponent, Gustave Courbet, defined Realism in the "Realist Manifesto" as concentrating on what artists could see and touch. The roll of leading exponents of 19th-century Realism is diverse indeed and includes the following artists:
Gustave Courbet (1819-1877)
Jean-François Millet (1814-1875)
Honoré Daumier (1808-1879)
Adolph von Menzel (1815-1905)
Wilhelm Leibl (1844-1900)
Ilya Repin (1844-1930)
J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851)
