Genre painting refers to all representations of ordinary life or contemporary manners. Concerned with the realistic reproduction and representation of actual settings, lighting and materials, genre painting comes into being in the North Europe (Van Eyck, Metsys), will evolve in Northern Italy, but will reach its apotheosis in Flanders (Brouwer, Téniers) and especially in 17th century Holland (Pieter de Hooch, Vermeer), whose painters will in turn inspire 18th and 19th century French painters (Chardin, Boilly).
