Realism revolutionized the art world by shifting the subject matter away from grand historical narratives, classical mythology, and religious allegories toward the unglamorous experiences of ordinary people. Laborers, peasants, factory workers, and the urban poor became the central figures of high art. Spearheaded by masters like Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet in France, and the Peredvizhniki (Itinerants) movement in Russia, Realist artists sought to capture life with clinical objectivity and social honesty. The style focuses on the tactile, material truth of textures, light, and human anatomy, often serving as a powerful vehicle for social critique by exposing the hardships of labor, poverty, and class disparity.