Painting Portraits

Gustav Courbet’s 1845 ‘Self-Portrait as the Desperate Man’ typifies the disillusion of the Romantic movement and the rise of Realism. Courbet was central to the realism movement in the mid-nineteenth century. His art is physical and depict reality, with all its blemishes and pain. Thick layers of paint cover the canvas in broken flecks and slabs, creating texture.

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This recreation stayed true to the original self-portrait in that the production was all the artists own work. 

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Below you will be able to slide between the original and the recreation. To find out more about Gustave Courbet visit the artist's official site here.