Nineteenth century French painter Gustave Courbet was instrumental in the founding of the modern Realist school of painting and created great art in his youth, his larger-than-life manifesto paintings being regarded as the earliest socialist art. Over the course of his career he came to be powerfully influenced by anarchist philosopher Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, whom he greatly admired. Driven by this influence, Courbet changed from an artist totally consumed by his work, to a politically active revolutionary, which culminated in his actions during the revolt of the Paris Commune in 1871, followed by trial, imprisonment and exile. Utilizing extensive archival research of Courbet's writings, this thesis argues that his relationship with Proudhon was instrumental in this change. The Courbet-Proudhon relationship was characterized by asymmetry of power and emulation of Proudhon by Courbet. Courbet, as a devotee of a man who distained intimacy, attempted to create a personal relationship which Proudhon would not allow. Detailed analysis of Courbet's correspondence, compared with that of Proudhon, clarifies the nature of their association and suggests a new interpretation of it, that it was not the generally portrayed, close, socially intimate one of personal friends, but one of distant prophet and spurned acolyte.