Rhyparography
The term rhyparography (from the Greek ryparos or rypos "dirty", ie "dirty painting") describes the lower genre in ancient painting , the main representation of everyday, common or contemptible objects.
According to Pliny , the painter Pyreïkos , who preferred barbershops, shoemakers' workshops, donkeys, food and the like, was given the nickname Rhyparographos ("dirty painter"). In today's terms one would speak of genre painting or still life . From the expression one has concluded that corresponding representations in antiquity were disregarded. However, this contradicts the large number of still lifes and genre pictures found in Pompeii and Herculaneum .
The term ropography is also used synonymously with rhyparography (from the Greek ropos "trifle" or "mishmash", ie "small scrapbooking").
The opposite term is megalography .