Birth Of A New Art Genre

Before the 16th century, art depicted subjects that were important: religious imagery, mythological figures, and portraits of wealthy people who could pay for a painting. After all, those were the people who were paying for the art. But when life changed in the 16th century, art changed as well. The philosophical schools of thought expanded concern for the unwashed masses, and the process of printing made art more accessible to regular people. Not only that, but artists themselves found they could shape public thought by showing how regular folks lived. This was popularized by Dutch artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder, who made prints of everyday scenes that appealed to a wider audience. His later paintings were from his own viewpoint of the world, and were often satire. From that point, it became commonplace for artists to depict the world as it was, instead of just what they were commissioned to paint.   

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