What objects are common subjects for traditional oil paintings, and how are they conventionally depicted?

Material goods are the subject matter for traditional oil paintings. Food is a subject that represents the wealth and style of life. Paintings of animals are shown that emphasize their quality to represent the wealth of their owners. Objects, buildings, and mythological figures are also subjects, with the mythological creatures being accorded the highest prestige. The classics are studied and appropriate subjects painted to represent a significant but generally vacuous scene. Vulgar or common life subjects are painted to reassure the owner-spectator that their life is more valuable as a moral statement. These images are called "genre" pictures because they depict real life as an antidote to mythology and classic forms.