"The Painters Studio" 1855 by Courbet

This picture is called "The Painters Studio" by Courbet. Courbet himself is actually the main focus in this picture. He is painting a landscape while a nude woman is watching him on his right side, and a small boy is watching him paint on his left side. The nude woman represents inspiration, the definition of the French academy. The little boy represents inocence, looking at the world and art with fresh new eyes. The people on the left side represent the people of Ornans, where he's from, and the people on the right side represent the people of paris where he's also from. Courbet is torn from trying to balance both sides of where he's from. He's also trying to balance of how he should paint, the way he's sees art, or the way the French Academy views art.

This painting can relate to the 21st century today. Everybody at least at one point of their life has felt insecure of who they really are. Mainly many teenagers as they're becoming adults struggle to try and figure out their own identity. Just like Courbet felt pressured by the French academy, many people can feel peer pressured by their friends or other people into doing things thinking in a certain way even though they don't agree with it. The important thing to do is to be yourself no matter what. Sure you can try out new things and be open to new ideas but in the end you'll know if thats right for you.

"Slave Ship" 1840's by JMW Turner

This painting is called the "Slave Ship" by JMW Turner. JMW Turner drew many landscapes. In this landscape the image isn't clear. But from the strokes and colors you can make out that there's an ocean and a sky. When you first look at the painting your eyes are directed to the sunset in the center of the picture that's reflecting the ocean. It looks so pretty. If you look closer you can see a ship a little to the left side. Once you really pay attention however, you realize that in the ocean there arms and legs sticking out from the bodies of slaves that were thrown of the ship to die.

In the 21st century today, many people are oblivious to what is actually going on around them. We focus on whats we see at first glance; work, school, eating out, partying, etc. We forget to look or don't care to think of the cruelty going on in the world. We've been in a war w Iraq for years now in everybody seems to be doing the usual; work and party. We don't really stop to think about soldiers being bombed and shot at, and the civilians who are hurt emotionally and physically even though they had nothing to do with it, especially the children.

"Pity the Sorrows of the Old Man" 1820 by Gericault

This lithograph is called "Pity the Sorrows of the Old Man" by Gericault. This lithograph show a homeless old man in the corner of a street. His clothes make it seem as if he use to be rich although they are torn up. He looks like he has given up on life. He's seems to be leaning against a bakery. On the right side there's people passing by walking down the street going on with their life as if everything were fine. The in front of him seems to be the only one who cares about the homesless old man.
This lithograph can relate to the 21st century today. Just like the man shown here, there are many homeless people living in the streets, especially San Francisco. Yet, instead of taking pity on the homeless person, people usually just pass right by the person as if they weren't there. People try not make eye contact with the homeless so they don't have to think about how much that person is suffering. It sad to think that dogs are more understanding and sweet to people than we are to eachother.