A Hut In The Mountains by Gustave Courbet —the self-proclaimed French genius

Gustave Courbet was a very self-confident man. He loved the attention and praise from the audience and contemporary artists. Courbet was a strong proponent of the philosophy that artists should depict on canvas everything as it is in real life, without adding any elements from his imagination. If a scene or landscape features some elements that might lack the visual appeal and the right aesthetics, the painter must depict those. That was a strong belief of Courbet.

A Hut In The Mountains depicts a scene from the Swiss mountains and represents the late and tough period in the life of the French artist. During a short-lived revolution in the spring of 1871, Courbet found himself as a member of the Paris Commune (he organized a Federation of Artists). However, this revolutionary movement soon failed to achieve its goals, and like many of the Paris Commune followers, Courbet was arrested and sentenced to six months in prison.

A Hut in the Mountains (1874) by Gustave Courbet. Oil on canvas, 33 cm x 49 cm. Source: Wikipedia Commons.

After the painter finished his prison sentence, he faced exile to Switzerland. It was not the worst-case scenario for Courbet, but he was left out of the opportunity to shine in the artistic circles of Paris. The Swiss art scenery was more humble, but there were some pros, such as incredible and majestic scenes of nature available as a source of inspiration.

A Hut In The Mountains is considered one of the best landscape paintings of Courbet. It depicts simple and calming scenery from the Swiss mountains. There are the snowy peaks of the Alps in the background, and a light breeze of wind is swinging the rope with clothes. The weather seems to be gloomy and cold. The choice of colors does not suggest any warm undertones or mood. The Swiss period was about to end Courbet’s life a few years later, and the scenery did not add up enough positive emotions for the self-exiled French painter.

The brushwork of this composition is monumental, in terms of the thick brush strokes, that Courbet applied to the canvas. You can notice how the painter makes the hut stand out, and it looks as massive as the mountain peaks in the background. The hut might be a relatively simple building in architectural terms, but Courbet made this rural structure look impressive.

Such a desire to portray the hut as a massive building can be explained by Courbet’s background. He loved to depict rural locations and landscapes due to his origins. Courbet was a proud countryside man, born in the commune of Ornans. He despised the monarchy and never shied away from sharing warm sentiments towards the working-class Frenchmen, such as peasants, fishermen, and miners.

The Swiss mountains featured the same class of simple, hard-working people who had to survive in tough environments and weather. The Alpine scenery might look captivating and beautiful, but it is not precisely an easy task to make living out there. Courbet’s artworks were a tool to display his admiration for these tough people and remind the broader audience about their existence of them.

Courbet spent just four years in Switzerland and did not have much time to paint a large number of landscapes. However, he earned a solid reputation there and inspired some of the upcoming Swiss artists to pursue the Realism style in their paintings. His uneasy character and excessive drinking took a toll on Courbet’s health, and he died at the age of 58, making his mark in art history as one of the finest Realism painters.

For more history content, subscribe to our YouTube channel!