Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet (10 June 1819 – 31 December 1877) is a French painter who leads the Realist movement in 19th-century French painting.

The Realist movement bridges the Romantic movement (characterized by the paintings of Théodore Géricault and Eugène Delacroix) with the Barbizon School and the Impressionists.

Courbet occupies an important place in 19th century French painting as an innovator and as an artist willing to make bold social commentary in his work.