Young Ladies Beside the Seine
Gustave Courbet · 1857
Why it's great
Two women in fancy dresses rest in the grass beside a river, one lying down and one sitting up with a hat. Courbet painted real contemporary women, not goddesses, which angered the critics of 1857. The painting is bold in its color and sense of ordinary leisure. It's seen as a step toward Impressionism.
Where to see it
📍 Petit PalaisParis, France
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Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.
Gustave Courbet was born in Ornans, in eastern France, and moved to Paris to become an artist. He led the Realism movement, insisting on painting real people and real life instead of myths. He was outspoken and got into political trouble, and he fled to Switzerland in the end. He died there in 1877.
