Show me an angel and I’ll paint one. How does Courbet's statement represent the Realist period? Select one of his works to support your statements. Be sure to specifically discuss the work in context of the characteristics of the Realist period.

Courbet uses realism by paying attention to every detail.

Explanation:

Courbet's quote, "show me an angel and I'll paint one" represents the Realist period because he is asking for an example to paint. He obviously wants to paint the most realistic angel he can and that is why he needs an example from real life.  An example of his work which shows his passion for realism is “The Stone Breakers” . Courbet uses shading to create shadows that would be cast naturally due to the position of the sun on the mountain in this portrait. He also uses texture on the stones as he paints a calm yet troubling site. Courbet  chooses not to show the faces of the men to create a deeper feeling of suffering because the viewer cannot relate to the two individuals completely.

the above mentioned statements talks about the creativity of an artist and to what extend they can utilize and experiment on the objects provided.   differing size and subjects are given so that an image of wisdom is created. displaying a transition from light to dark in something by darkening sections in order to create a shadow. and lastly, putting bits and pieces together to formulate a new image.