16th century arts reflection of Protestant Reform

Art from the 16th century largely reflects the Protestant Reform.  This is shown by the fact that art in this time period became more available to middle class people because art was no longer solely commissioned by the church.  The subject matters also became more creative and along the lines of genre, everyday, situations.  This was because the paintings weren't only made to illustrate Bible stories anymore.  However, the pieces of artwork that were for religious purposes focused more on the differences between "grace" and the "law" and on portraying lessons and good moral stories.  The other religious pieces where focused on the Lord's supper due to the change in beliefs after the Protestant Reform.  Also, at this time there was a larger rate of literacy and an increase of the seek for knowledge.  This caused the artwork to contain more writings on the pieces, which also came about due to the invention and widespread use of the printing press.