"Realism was a movement that developed in France around mid-century.  Gustave Courbet (1819 - 1877), long regarded as the leading figure of the Realist movement in nineteenth century art, used the term "realism" when exhibiting his own works, even though he shunned labels.  In and since Courbet's time, confusion about what realism is has been widespread. ...  Realists focused their attention on everyday contemporary life and disapproved of traditional and fictional subjects on the grounds that they were not real and visible and were not of the present world." 

   - Gardner's Art Through The Ages, 11th edition, Vol. II, p. 891