Answer: Artists often painted life realistically as a result of the reformation.
Explanation: Reformation refers to the removing of the humanistic distortions which had entered the church. As a result of this, artists turn to realism which led to a private interpretation of Scripture. They sought to portray man as being in need of God's grace because of sin.
Artists painted life and the world realistically, without idealizing or glorifying the creature but, instead, showing things as they really were.