What is Realism

Realism, also known as "realism," is the belief that in human cognition, our understanding and perception of objects is consistent with their actual existence independent of our minds. Realism is generally considered to be concerned with reality and actuality to the exclusion of idealism. Realism has many meanings in the liberal arts category, especially in painting, literature and philosophy. It can also be used in international relations.

In art, realism refers to accurate, detailed and unadorned depictions of nature or contemporary life. Realism rejects idealized imagery in favor of closely observed and realistic portrayals, and it encompasses many artistic currents from different civilizations.

Realism is one of the most common terms in literary criticism and literary studies, and it is generally used in two senses. First, realism in the broad sense, which refers to the loyalty of literature and art to nature, originally originated from the oldest literary theory in the West, that is, the simple conception of the ancient Greeks that "art is a direct reproduction of nature or an imitation of nature", and that the degree of realism of a work or its resemblance to the object becomes the criterion for judging the success of the work. The second is the narrow sense of realism, a historical concept, referring specifically to the nineteenth-century realism movement that originated in France.