Final answer:
Murillo was renowned for his genre paintings depicting scenes of ordinary people and everyday life, particularly noted for the light and realism in works such as Holy Family with Dog and Two Women at a Window.
Step-by-step explanation:
Murillo's popularity among the people of Spain was mainly due to his genre paintings of ordinary people living ordinary lives. Bartolome Murillo's work showcased his ability to infuse elements of Mannerism, Realism, and Baroque periods into his pieces. This approach is evident in works such as Holy Family with Dog and Two Women at a Window, where Murillo used Caravaggio's technique of tenebrism, highlighting scenes from everyday life with a light source illuminating the realistic subjects against a dark background.
His paintings captivated the public with their portrayal of common experiences and the replication of observed reality, reflecting the seventeenth century's significant shift towards genre painting as an artistic genre.