GENRE-PAINTING, a term derived from the French genre (" kind," "sort"). origi nally employed to distinguish any special branch of painting, as genre-historigue (historic painting), genre du paysage (landseape-painting), etc. In a more definite sense it is used to describe any picture containing human figures not included in the so-called historical class, particularly pictures with figures much below the size of life—cattle, architectural pieces, flower-pieces, and representations of still life. Under the term genre-pictures are comprehended all pictures with figures representing individuals only as types of a species or class, in contradistinction to historical compositions, which bring before us certain individuals, or, as it were, nomina props-ia. The mode of conception and style of execution in genre-painting may resemble the historical style; and, on the other hand, historical personages may be represented merely in situations of everyday life. The term historic-genre is employed in both cases. The French likewise distinguish the genre historigue from the lower genre, strictly so called; they also occasionally apply the term peinture du style to historical painting. Genre-pictures are usually of limited dimensions, while in historical pictures the figures are commonly the size of life, or even colossal. In either case, however, there are many exceptions to the general rule, and the proper designation depends rather on the style of subject than on the size. A species of genre painting with a distinct style was practiced even in ancient times, but the birthplace of the present genre picture is the north, and more particularly the Netherlands. The Italians, especially Paul Veronese, had previously showed a leaning to the genre style in biblico-historical pictures, by making the principal figures and the action subordinate to the accessories and locality—as, for example, in his "Marriage at Cana;" and Van Eyck's school in the Netherlands had likewise introduced the same element into the delineation of incidents in sacred history. Lucas van Leyden and Albert Dunr then began to represent actual scenes from the everyday life of the people in paintings and engravings. Genre-painting was brought to its highest perfection in the Netherlands by a series of admirable painters, such as Terburg, Brower, Ostade, Rembrandt, the younger Teniers, Metzn, Gerard Dow, and others. Though the characteristic and humorous conception of many of the works of these masters gives them a peculiar value, Raves found in other cases that a certain delicacy of imitation and skill in using the brush was capable of imparting a singular charm to the most ordinary scenes and figures. In the British school this style of art is generally understood to be limited to pictures with figures, and many works of the highest excellence have been produced in it, elevated in treatment by the introduction of an important element—viz., the dramatic.
GENS (allied to Lat. genus, Eng. kin; from the root gen-, to beget or produce). This Latin word, to which so many important political and -social meanings came to be attached, signifies, properly, a race or lineage. From it our own words gentleman (q.v.), gentility, etc., have come to us through the French gentilhomme, the primary meaning cf which was, one who belonged to a known and recognized stock. By the Romans it was sometimes used to designate a whole community, the members of which were not necessarily connected by any known ties of blood, though seine such connection was probably always taken for granted. In this sense we hear of the Bens Latinorum, cam
panorum, etc. But it had a far more definite meaning than this in the constitutional law of Rome. According to Scuevola, the pontifex, those alone belonged to the same Bens, or Were "gentiles," who satisfied the four following conditions—viz., 1. Who bore the same name; 2. Who were born of freemen ; 3. Who had no slave amongst their ancestors; and 4. Who had suffered no capitis diminutio (reduction from a superior to an inferior condition);. of which there were three dcgr&s, max*niptlit.)-Ja, The first (maxima capitis diminutio) consisted in the reduction of a free man to the condition of a slave, and was undergone by those who refused or neglected to be regis tered at the census, who had been condemned to ignominious punishments, who refused to perform military service, or who had been taken prisoners by the enemy, though those of the last class, on recovering their liberty, could be reinstated in their rights of citizenship. The second degree (media capitis ditnthutio) consisted in the reduction of a citizen to the condition of an alien (Latinus or peregrinus), and involved, in the case of a Latizzus, the loss of the right of legal marriage (eonnulrium), but not of acquiring property (eommereium); and in the case of the peregrinus, the loss of both. The third degree (minima capitis diminutio) consisted in the change of condition of a paterfamilias into that of a filius familial, either by adoption (adrogutio) or by legitimation. In the identity of name, some sort of approach to a common origin seems to be here implied. The gens thus consisted of many families, but all these families were supposed to be more or less nearly allied by blood—to be, as we should kindred. A Roman gens was thus something very nearly identical with a Celtic clan, the identity or similarity of name being always supposed to have arisen from relationship, and not from similar ity of occupation, as in the case of the Smiths, Taylors, Lorimers, etc., of modern Europe. There was this peculiarity, however, about the gens which did not belong to the clan—viz., that it was possible for an individual born in it to cease to belong to it by eapitis diminutio, or by adoption, or adrogation as it was called when the person adopted was sui furls (q.v.). If the adoption was by a family of the same gens, rim gentile name, of course, remained unchanged. In the case of a person dying intestate, his gentiles, failing nearer relatives, were his heirs, and they undertook the duties of guardianship in the like circumstances. The gens was further bound together by certain sacred rites, which were imposed on the whole of its members, and for the celebration of which it probably possessed, in common property, a medium or sacred spot enclosed, and containing an altar and the statue of the god to whom it was dedicated. According to the traditional accounts of the old Roman constitution, the gentes were a subdivision of the curim, as the curim were subdivisions of the tribe. In this view of the matter, the original idea of the gens becomes simply that of the smallest political division. with out any relation to kindred or other ties.—An excellent article on the gens by Mr. George Long, in which references to the principal German authorities on the subject are given, will be found in Smith's Dietioruzry of Roman Antiquities.