Mme (Laure Borreau), 1863. Painted during Courbet's stay in the Saintonge region of western France, this portrait depicts Laure Borreau, owner of a fabric store and ladies confectionery. As the leader of the Realist movement in France, Courbet aimed to convey his democratic and socialist ideals by portraying ordinary people in a truthful, unidealized manner. While considering himself a radical innovator, Courbet nonetheless exhibited this portrait under the title Mme at the Paris Salon of 1863.

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Size: 4123px × 5384px
Photo credit: © Heritage Art/Heritage Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1819-1877, 19th, art, century, cleveland, courbet, fabric, france, french, gustave, heritage, museum, oil, painting