Realismus has almost always been associated with a model of art theory whose advocates are not content with the "art for art's sake" aesthetic, but expect art to make critical reference to societal relations - or even a committed intervention. The contributors to this volume certainly do not wish to re-open the issue of what realism actually is. Rather, they are united by an interest in the question what debates on realism have been conducted in the history of art and which works were taken to exemplify their claims. The issue reached its zenith in the decade after 1968. The most salient question is therefore which sources were used for research and for art manifestos during that period.

The volume includes contributions from Alexandra Axtmann, Katharina Büttner-Kirschner, Reiner Diederich, Andrew Hemingway, Klaus Herding, Jost Hermand, Hans-Ernst Mittig, Jody Patterson, Alex Potts, John Roberts, Gisela Schirmer and Norbert Schneider.