“The Desperate Man” via the New York Times

From February 27 until May 18, 2008, The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present more than 130 oil paintings and works on paper by the provocative realist french artist, Gustave Courbet (1819-1877).

Gustave Courbet’s exhibition at the MET [New York Sun]
Realist french painter Gustave Courbet’s exhibition [City Guide]
–>Gustave Courbet’s showcase [Newsday.com]
“The most arrogant man in France” in exhibit at the MET [New York Times]

The artist is considered pioneering figure in the history of modernism and one of the major artists of mid-19th century France.  Often classified as a realist painter, Courbet often rejected artistic conventions, academic norms, and created relatively scandalous artworks.  The Met exhibition is organzied chronologically, with galleries dedicated to specific themes: early self-portraits, nudes and photography derived pieces.  Done miss what is considered one of Courbet’s greatest works, the drowsy “Young Ladies on the Banks of the Seine” of 1856-57. The Courbet exhibition was organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.