Gustave Courbet, Trois baigneuses (Three Bathers), 1865–68, oil on paper on canvas, 126 × 96 cm, Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris

      Delacroix and Courbet surely observed each other quite closely. Their—more or less concealed—reactions are a leitmotif in this book, whose seven essays serve as an introduction to selected aspects of Gustave Courbet’s life and work. It is published on the occasion of the exhibition devoted to Courbet at the Fondation Beyeler. Courbet plays with the expectations of his viewers and the treatment of color; the hidden references to classic art-historical iconography and emphasis on his individuality as an artist make him a seminal figure in the transition from tradition to modernity. He is an artist whose work also fascinates those who are not concerned with art on a daily basis. And perhaps this little book will contribute to the desire to take a fresh look at Courbet and rediscover his immensely rich oeuvre and compelling life.