Social Realism, Prints, Drawings, Gromaire, Pignon, Hélion, Bissière

Over centuries, Social Realism has always found one mode of expression or another in different countries, through an impressive diversity of shapes, styles, and with many different artistic objectives. Thus Social Realism is a generic term, which includes such French painters as Gustave Courbet, Honoré Daumier, Jean-François Millet. In Belgium, we find Pierre Paulus, Louis Martin, and especially Constantin Meunier. At the beginning of the 20th century, capitalist economic systems were affected by successive recessions and crises, which culminated in the 1929 New York stockmarket crash. This ultimately caused a world crisis of an hitherto unknown magnitude. Everywhere in the world, unemployment spread and all international exchanges came to a halt. The artists of this school foresaw the tragic impact these events would have and they felt it their responsibility to become more socially involved. They were also reacting against those who remained uncommitted and those who sold out to Italian or German fascism. This group of artists suggested the upheavals of civilization through their depictions of various human subjects and scenes. In so doing, they recorded human misery and the harshness of the living conditions then prevailing. Some of them were returning to figurative painting in a style that was sparingly expressive, much in the vein of Synthetic Realism. It should be noted that even though these artists have remained famous for their social commitment, they never bridged the cultural gap between themselves and popular culture.

Art movements

SOCIAL REALISM
1920-1950

XXth century art movements

chronology

Art movements

SOCIAL REALISM 1920-1950

XXth century art movements

chronology

SOCIAL REALISM
1920-1950