Innovative painter and radical Realist, Gustave Courbet dedicated his talent to deconstructing the contemporary view of art by depicting the raw and unaltered human condition set against an unembellished backdrop. Put off by the artist's audacity, critics continually panned Courbet's contributions -- such as the now famous &NFi;Burial at Ornans&NFi_; -- but his work gained popularity for its contrast with the pretentious high art of the era.