Reflections of sings of social statue in early modern Europe in genre paintings

It is not possible to consider the European society, which is spread over a large geography, as a homogeneous whole. The two most important elements that approach different topographical characteristics and climatic conditions in the course of centuries are agricultural and religion. From the Middle Ages, a hierarchical social order has been developed in Europe, most of which adopted the Christian belief. This structure, which is based on production relations and economic interests, has influenced every aspect of social life for centuries. In the early stages of the Middle Ages, the clear definitions of the groups within this hierarchical structure, shaped according to the interests of those holding the economic power and exercising power were made and their boundaries were determined. The nobles belonging to the upper levels lived in prosperity for hundreds of years using all the privileges given to them; the peasants in the lower layer lived a miserable life in semi-slave order. The members of the church, acting in their own interests, institutionalized the religion and ensured the continuity of the system and became a partner of the nobles' power and exercising power. By the end of the Middle Ages, the peasants who had been freed in Europe along with a number of political, economic, technical and scientific developments have begun to emigrate from the lands of seigniors which they are bound to the cities. With the impact of geographical discoveries and the development of trade, cities with increasing population have gained importance. The multiplicity of opportunities in the cities and the variety of relations of production have made a new class visible. All these elements both triggered and influenced each other; thus, social progress has continued unceasingly. At the beginning of the early modern period, the dissolution, which started at the lowest level, continued with the melting of the boundaries between the upper layers. With the effect of Renaissance and Reformation movements, individuality started to gain importance; the doctrines that the church has bonded ordinary believers with the promise of happiness in the other world have been widely questioned. The dissolution in the system increased the mobility among the social sectors; The possibility of raising to the upper layers and better status, or the need to maintain the status, led to the emergence of a competitive environment in the middle class. The hierarchical social order in Europe remained in the early modern period. The definitions which draw the frameworks of peasant, bourgeois and noble classes have been still valid. In these processes where the individuals define their identities through the class they belong to, the other classes have been perceived as "The Others". In the gaze of others, there have been feelings of arrogance and humiliation, or a mixture of envy and enmity. Different sections which are easily distinguished in everyday life are visualized in various works in the works of 17th and 18th centuries. Portraits, nature views, still lifes and scenes from everyday life provide the opportunity to read about the dynamics of social life in Europe in the early modern period. In these paintings, which are dealt with various dimensions of daily life, home scenes, taverns, eating-drinking rituals, festivals, entertainments, market places and working areas are sometimes depicted in a dignified and sometimes funny manner. The attire of the figures, body language and behavior, and the place they are in, turn into the status indicator and make the dominant class mostly visible while carrying the meaning. In the early modern period, when individual identities are expressed in terms of the layer or group, social status indicators appear as direct or sometimes indirect expressions of identity. However, the scenes of everyday life where identity is defined through "The Other" are not accepted as the literal historical documents of social life due to the prejudices they contain and the stereotypes they use. These pictures, in which the feelings of pride and humiliation or the mixture of envy and enmity are read, present to the viewer evidence of how differences are perceived in European societies in a particular historical process. The reflections of social status differences in daily life scenes, which are the subject of this research, are examined in the context of marriage ceremonies, costumes, eating habits, mannersand leisure time, entertainment and play.