Modern Artist: Gustave Courbet

"Self-Portrait" (top left)
     The self-portrait of Courbet really captured my attention with his expression.  In his thrown up arms, you can appreciate the attention to detail in the extrusion of tendons and veins that express tension or movement.  The color scheme of the painting is very minimally greyscale with some subtle hues of yellow and green in the background and in his skin, but there is a bright blush of red in his cheeks that suggests embarassment.

"Sleep" (right)
     In an erotic display of lesbian intimacy, Courbet captures a moment of passion between two lovers.  The folds of the fabric are expertly shaded and I was impressed by the rendered glass objects in the foreground.  The dark blue background really contrasts with the pastey white skin of the women.  I just chose this piece because I had never expected to find a painting of two lesbians from this time period.

"Johanna Hiffernan" (bottom left)
     This portrait is another example of Courbet's expertise in showing emotion on human facial expressions.  Although her fingers seem to be in an uncomfortable and unrealistic position and her jawline seems to be overextended, her long rippling hair shows real deptch and shading.