Woman with a Parrot by Gustave Courbet is a product of the Realism movement, a movement which, in a nutshell, encompasses pieces depicting life in its true and natural form. Unlike the movements that preceded, Realism has a sort of simplicity and straightforwardness associated with it. There is no evidence of attempts to idealize and glorify life as with Romanticism, and no evidence of hidden messages and stories as in History Painting. .
At first glance, the simplicity of Woman with a Parrot is evident, when considering Courbet's limited color palette. Unlike the Impressionists artists who follow, Courbet utilizes only naturalistic colors, incorporating nothing other than brown, beiges and greens into his color scheme. In this painting, he offsets a dark background with a pale nude woman; a move which forces attention almost entirely on the nude woman. The integration of the nude woman into this painting is innovative, and exemplifies the audacity and disregard for public acceptance Courbet was known for. The innovations Courbet include, allows him to demonstrate his talents and is the reason for the significance of this particular painting. The painting is an expression of seduction and challenges taboo. When shown in the Salon of 1866, the painting evoked disgust and shock because it was a time when only Venus and other goddesses were shown in the nude. The carefree demeanor and appearance of the woman mirror her provocativeness, which inevitably give rise to disapproving critique.
The painting is painted with precise detail and precise brush strokes, though from this copy of the painting it may be hard to see.
In terms of form, the painting seems like it has no particular form. It is asymmetrical, and appears to be rather empty on the right side; the left side contains most of the painting's content. However, through some research I found that Courbet includes a self portrait into the piece, located near the bird stand.