Since the 16th century, paintings that portrayed the ordinary aspects of everyday life were considered to be genre paintings. These types of genre artworks initially included scenes with peasants, common marketplaces, and intimate home settings that became popular among middle-class collectors. Genre painting originated in Holland and is characterized by romantic, imagined, and realistic representations of common subjects. Over time, the genre painting definition evolved to encompass art rendered in a realistic style that demonstrates subjects with a nostalgic tone.