. The Netherland galleries : being a history of the Dutch school of painting, illuminated and demonstrated by critical descriptions of the great paintings in the many galleries. ndivid-uality in preference to trifling externalities. CHAPTER V THE GENRE PAINTERS Genre is the painting of the familiar life of thepeople, without preponderance of the figure, thebackground being of equal importance. It is notthe mere story-telling picture, but must also dis-play the artists feeling of colour and light. The Dutch were not the originators of this styleof painting, the Venetian Bassani and Carpacciohad
. The Netherland galleries : being a history of the Dutch school of painting, illuminated and demonstrated by critical descriptions of the great paintings in the many galleries. ndivid-uality in preference to trifling externalities. CHAPTER V THE GENRE PAINTERS Genre is the painting of the familiar life of thepeople, without preponderance of the figure, thebackground being of equal importance. It is notthe mere story-telling picture, but must also dis-play the artists feeling of colour and light. The Dutch were not the originators of this styleof painting, the Venetian Bassani and Carpacciohad led the way, but the Dutch artists of the 17thcentury gave this kind of art-expression definiterank and importance. It appealed to them. Theyhad little interest in mystic or epic art. They weretoo hard-headed and practical. Weary of war,hate and fanaticism, they turned from bitter con-troversies concernino- dogma, from all the ensuingdreariness and desolation of those troublous timesof strife and enmity, to the peaceful scenes of homelife, so dear to them. The love of home becamealmost a religion to the Dutch, and their greatpainters of homely life were its prophets. 88. Ube Genre {painters 89 The Dutch genre painters depicted their socialhistory with a fine eye for the broad, permanentforces of society. Nor need they be accused ofpreference for low life and a coarse display of vul-garity. The Hollanders are a frank people, anda clean people, which saves them from senselessprudery or severe convention, whereby, even inwhat is apparently common, they cannot be deniedmoral dignity through their grasp of character andwinning frankness. Whether they turn up theseamy side of life, as Jan Steen, or the fashionableupper classes as Terborch, they give a revelationof character expression which never becomes triv-ial. The painters of genre in this century have oftenbeen called the little masters. This must notbe supposed as being a distinction of artistic great-ness in comparison with R
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