\paperw19995 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \pard\tx8790\ATXts240\ATXbrdr0 \f1 At the end of the sixteenth century artists began to show a leaning for scenes drawn from dail
y life, used to celebrate the comfortable existence of the middle classes, for whom such works were often intended.\par
This type of painting, usually small in size, is normally referred to as genre painting, to distinguish it from other styles.\par
Th
e apparent ease with which the subject could be relayed made these works highly attractive, though at times they had complex hidden meanings, intelligible only to a minority of the public.\par
\pard\ATXts240\ATXbrdr0 Characterized by meticulous
description and extremely realistic representation such paintings offer us priceless glimpses of what life was like in the past.
