<P> A distinctive feature of the period, compared to earlier European painting, was the small amount of religious painting . Dutch Calvinism forbade religious painting in churches, and though biblical subjects were acceptable in private homes, relatively few were produced . The other traditional classes of history and portrait painting were present, but the period is more notable for a huge variety of other genres, sub-divided into numerous specialized categories, such as scenes of peasant life, landscapes, townscapes, landscapes with animals, maritime paintings, flower paintings and still lifes of various types . The development of many of these types of painting was decisively influenced by 17th - century Dutch artists . </P> <P> The widely held theory of the "hierarchy of genres" in painting, whereby some types were regarded as more prestigious than others, led many painters to want to produce history painting . However this was the hardest to sell, as even Rembrandt found . Many were forced to produce portraits or genre scenes, which sold much more easily . In descending order of status the categories in the hierarchy were: </P> <Ul> <Li> history painting, including allegories and popular religious subjects . </Li> <Li> Portrait painting, including the tronie </Li> <Li> genre painting or scenes of everyday life </Li> <Li> landscape, including seascapes, battlescenes, cityscapes, and ruins (landscapists were the "common footmen in the Army of Art" according to Samuel van Hoogstraten .) </Li> <Li> still life </Li> </Ul> <Li> history painting, including allegories and popular religious subjects . </Li>

Genre scenes were popular in the netherlands for their