Rendition : Courbet, The Sleepers

The images of the finished paintings are the last two without thumbnails.  These will take a moment to load.

This rendition of Courbet’s The Sleepers has been a great exercise and sharpening of observational skills.  The practice of copying masterworks is ages old and was even undertaken by masters in their maturity.  I recommend it to the student as a means of honing-in skills, not only of seeing visual information but to reach for technical solutions as well.  Courbet has been one of my favorite painters.  I encountered this painting not too long ago and felt drawn to it.  The subject matter is, to me, only incidental to the beauty with which it is painted.  I have read from two separate sources, that when looking at the actual painting, you can almost smell these women.  My painting falls short of that experience, but it does make me happy to come as close to Courbet as I have.

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