Gustave Courbet. Realist and Rebel

The Leopold Museum is delighted to welcome you to Austria’s first major retrospective dedicated to the extraordinary French artist Gustave Courbet (1819–1877). This sweeping exhibition brings together around 130 pieces—including 90 paintings, 20 drawings, and a fascinating collection of personal archives—to offer a complete look at a true pioneer of Realism.

Courbet was a radical for his time, famously breaking away from the stiff, idealized styles of the 19th century to capture life with raw honesty in his portraits, landscapes, and still lifes.

More than just a painter, Courbet was a bold rebel who challenged the status quo. He was deeply committed to social issues and even took an active role in politics during the 1871 Paris Commune following the fall of the French Empire. While the world around him was transformed by industry and revolution, Courbet often revealed a quieter, more contemplative side through his art, creating a sense of calm amidst the chaos. With his fierce independence and a talent for sparking conversation, Courbet forever changed the art world by insisting on his right to paint his own way.