TheOldMastersPrintsA Burial at Ornans by Gustave Courbet: meaning, location and key facts
A Burial at Ornans is an oil on canvas by Gustave Courbet, painted between 1849 and 1850. It measures 315 × 668 cm and is held at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.
Key facts
| Artist | Gustave Courbet |
|---|---|
| Date | 1849–1850 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 315 × 668 cm (height × width) |
| Museum | Musée d'Orsay, Paris |
| Style | Realism |
| Data source | Wikidata (Q540488) · Wikipedia |
What it shows
A funeral in Ornans, Courbet’s home town in the Franche-Comté. Around an open grave gather the priest, the altar boys, the pallbearers, men in frock coats and women in mourning, some fifty life-size figures.
Courbet gave an ordinary scene of ordinary people the size, more than six metres wide, reserved for history painting and heroic subjects. That is why it is considered the manifesto of Realism.
Did you know?
- The figures are real residents of Ornans who posed for the painter.
- When it was shown at the Salon of 1850-1851 it caused a scandal and was criticised for its “ugliness”.
- It measures 3.15 × 6.68 metres.
Where to see the original
A Burial at Ornans is at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Works are sometimes lent to exhibitions or taken down for restoration, so it is worth checking the museum’s website before you go.
Which print size to choose
The print keeps the proportions of the original: if they differ from the paper, the painting is centred with a white border and never cropped. More details in our size guide.
| A4 (21 × 29.7 cm) | shelves, desks and gallery walls |
|---|---|
| A3 (29.7 × 42 cm) | bedrooms, hallways and small walls |
| A2 (42 × 59.4 cm) | above a sideboard, chest of drawers or headboard |
Prints are made to order in the Czech Republic and reach the EU in 3 to 8 days, with no customs. Canvases are made in the USA and take about 2 to 3 weeks, with EU VAT included in the price.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is A Burial at Ornans?
- The original is held at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.
- How big is A Burial at Ornans?
- The original painting measures 315 × 668 cm (height × width).
- Who painted A Burial at Ornans and when?
- It was painted by Gustave Courbet between 1849 and 1850.
- Can I hang a reproduction of A Burial at Ornans at home?
- Yes. The work is in the public domain, so it can be freely reproduced. We offer it as a matte print in A4, A3, A2 (from €18.99) and as a ready-to-hang canvas (from €69.99), with free shipping to the EU.
Updated 21 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Message us through the shop and we will fix it.
