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The Homecoming
Gustave Courbet French
Not on view
This painting is generally regarded as a record of Courbet’s return to his native region, the Franche-Comté, following a watershed meeting with his enlightened patron Alfred Bruyas and his first visit to the sea. Courbet was an indefatigable self-portraitist, but in this rare example he left his visage undefined. Given the head’s position, it could be interpreted as a lost profile or as unfinished. This artistic decision, and its ambiguous outcome, shifts our attention to the figure’s bold stance and dress. Courbet signed the painting, indicating that he considered it complete, and he kept it until he died.
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