What is a Naturalist?

A Naturalist, in the context of art and literature, is someone who seeks to depict the world as it truly is—with a focus on realism, observation, and the forces of nature, society, and biology that shape human life.

In Art:

Naturalist artists aim for accurate, detailed representations of the natural world and human beings. Unlike Symbolists, who are inward and metaphorical, Naturalists are outward and observational. Their work often avoids exaggeration or idealization.

Key Traits of Naturalist Art:

• Focus on everyday life, often of ordinary or marginalized people

• Precise, almost scientific attention to detail

• Interest in nature, anatomy, and realistic environments

• Often somber, objective, and grounded in social realities

Notable Naturalist Artists:

• Jean-François Millet – rural laborers and peasant life

• Jules Bastien-Lepage – peasant scenes with photographic realism

• Thomas Eakins – American life, anatomy, and realism

• Anders Zorn – portraiture and nudes with natural lighting and tone

In Literature:

Naturalist writers, like Émile Zola and Stephen Crane, believed that humans are shaped by heredity, environment, and social conditions—ideas inspired by Darwinian evolution and scientific objectivity.

Literary Naturalism:

• Focus on determinism (humans as products of forces beyond their control)

• Gritty realism and often bleak subject matter

• Detailed depictions of class struggle, poverty, survival, and desire

Symbolist vs. Naturalist (Simplified):

Attached below…

You might think of Symbolists as inward seekers and Naturalists as external observers. Both can be powerful lenses through which to explore the world—but they lead to very different kinds of art.

Would you like to see how aspects of each might show up in your current work?