In the literature and art, realism is the representation of subjects as they appear in practical life, every day. Realism does not deal with interpretation or embellishment. The point of realism is to capture people or situations of gritty and real way. Similar to realistic photography, the realist painter is emphasis on stylization but is more interested in describing situations just as they appear to the naked eye.
While realism depicts real characters in real situations, it tends to be the emphasis on the sordid or ugly. In this way, realism is much unlike idealism. In the idealism, the theory is that the reality and the regular world around us is a reflection of truth higher. However, realistically, it is as if we say "all I know certain is that my eyes and other organs of the senses me."
In response to the idealism of romanticism in France in the 19th century, realism became the popular cultural movement in many ways. Realism is often linked to political and social reform claims, as well as ideas on democracy. Dominant literature and Visual arts in England, France and the United States between the 1840s and 1880, realism was popular throughout many aspects of life.
The realists have tendency to discard such pride than classical, theatrical and subject forms esoteric nobles for the more mundane subjects and themes. One very famous example of realistic painting is "The gleaners to Jean-Francois Millet" of the year 1857. This table describes three women working in the fields. The colors are very realistic, almost dull, as opposed to the non-realistic paintings.
Realism as an artistic movement appeared early as 2400 BC in India in the city of Lothal. Examples of this type of art everywhere can be found in the world and in the history of art. In a very broad sense, realism is art that shows any subject or the object that has been observed and described with precision, even if the entire piece of art is not compliant with requirements of realism.
In the end of the sixteenth century the most important mode of art in the European art was a form called Mannerism, which showed artificial and elongated figures in positions very unreal, while gracious. And then an artist by the name of Caravaggio has emerged and a large part of the direction of art changed simply illustrating actual humans doing real things. His work shows directly painted images fro meveryday life and shows an immediacy which had never seen before.
Dutch art was all realism entries, with their penchant for welcoming details and the humble situations and topics. Rembrandt is a very well-known example of Dutch realism in paintings. The Barbizon school takes realism in a new direction when, by observation and the nature of painting, the beginnings of Impressionism took form.
Realism still plays a role in the art of all kinds and the paintings today. Film for television and fine art, realism is still a major player in the world of the creative and expressive processes and productions. Throughout human history have been those that wish to see things as they are and those who actually see an index of the divine. Realism then a long way in providing an extreme with which we have discovered several in betweens in modern and contemporary.
