and romantic maaning of which stresses so much the idea of representation for the sake of do-
cumentation28. Earlier, other descriptive terras were used with respect to this kind of painting,
consistent with the various types of representation e.g. frutagies signified still lifes with fruit,
blompotten those with flowers, inbytgens were hreakfast still lifes, dootshoofden of the vanitas
type. At times morę precise descriptions were used, e.g. Boeren Inbyten for peasants' breakfast,
Yanitas in der eeuwichheit for eternal vanity, or comptoor or schryfcamer for either a still life
with books or a depiction of a scholar in his studio29. Most of the poetic terms used in the 19th
century and at present with respect to landscapes and so-called genre paintings are likewise non-
historic and misleading. In the period in question either quite generał tcrms were used, e.g.
melkmeysje, een gezelschap ran vier persoonen, het Tabac drinckertgen, etc, or a little morę precise
descriptions of the themes known from iconographic tradition or literaturę, e.g. Vyf Sinnen
een Bordeel ofte Vergaderinge van Jonge Luyden, de Historie van Andromeda, Granida.

In classification systems worked out by the theorists of Dutch classicism wlio passed value
judgemant on genres of painting, realistic depictions were deprecated even more than in van
Mander's time who called them a „side-road of art"30. In his painting manuał of 1678, S. van
Hoogstraeten divided painting into three categories according to the value of the themes. He
included kitchen depictions, portraits and all sorts od still lifes among the least valuable. In
his opinion, scenes with satyrs, landscapes with shepherds and animals, nocturnes ans depictions
of fires, shops, market stalls and bambocciala subjects were hardly more vahiable. Hc believed
the third type of paintings to be appropriate, valuable and worthy of real painters. He included
represantations based on lofty and instructive literary themes, ones that had an edifying sensus
allegoricus31. G. Lairesse, who refused ordinary landscapes and peasant scenes the right to be
called art, distinguished four categories of pictures. The first embraced simple rcal stories de-
picted in a literał straightforward way. The second, poetic type, embraced mythological scenes
and edifying „pretended stories" meant to propagate virtue; they could be presented through
realities and allegories as well as mythological characters. The third group consisted of edifying
scenes (moraale tafereełen), true stories or events painted for the sake of spiritual encouragement
and instruction about good and evil. Lairesse postulated that for the painting of these exempla
virlutis, symbolic motifs (sinbetehend) should be included in the repertory of ordinary natu-
ralistic means of depicting events. The last category consisted of hieroglyphical scenes with
didactic intentions that combined symblic images and signs32.

Even little appreciatcd themes, composed on the basis of events from everyday life and obser-
vation of naturę, could acąuire a certain value if they containcd elcments likely to explain
something in a symblic or edifying way. This is evidenced with authority by a sentence in which
Hoogstraeten himself recommended painters to place additions in their works, that explained
something in a veiled way (bywerk dar bedektlijk iets verklaert) bccause they enable one „profound
finding and secret understanding" (diepzinnige ronden en heymelycke verstanden) thanks to
„one or the other instructive meaning" (d'eeen of d'ander leersame beduidenis) they have33.

Netherlandish literaturę on art never denied that paintings containing realistic depictions
could have a metaphorical, exemplary or allegorical meaning, whether they were treated on

28. Theterra is aa aborsyiation of slil-slasnl (liggmis) Uvsn, which signified standiug or lying paiuted models, even human,
cf. I. Bergstrom, Ditch Still-life painting in the seuenteenth century, New York, 1956, p. 314.

29. Cf. M.L. Wurfbain, StiUlevens, catalogue of the exhibition, Geschilderl tot Leyden Anno 1626, Leyden, 1976/7, p. 79.

30. Cf. E.K.J. Reznicek, op. cii., p. 251ff.

31. Cf. H. Miedema,,,Over het realisme in de N^derlandse scliilderkunst van de zeventiende eeuw**, Oud Holland, LXXXIII»
1975, p. 4 ff.; J.A. Emmens, op. cit,, p. 119 ff.

32. Cf. D. P. Snoep, Classicism and History Painting in the Late Ssusnteenth Csntury, catalogue of the exhibitioii, Gods, Sainta
and Heroes, Washington—Detroit—Amsterdam, 1980, p. 238.

33. Cf. S. van Hoogstraeten, op. cit., p. 90 ff.

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