Amid the background of social turbulence in the mid-nineteenth century, Gustave Courbet''s unconventional paintings of real people in everyday scenes came to embody values with radical political implications. James Rubin addresses the entire range of Courbet''s work: from his hunting scenes and spirited landscapes, to his portraits and erotic nudes. He combines a clear reading of the artist''s paintings with a rigorous discussion of the unique personal, political and social framework within which they were created.