noun
popular picture; genre painting; vulgar painting
Refers to paintings or pictures that are popular, common, or of low taste, often in contrast to refined art. The term can carry a slightly derogatory nuance.
この浮世絵は当時、俗画と見なされていた。
This ukiyo-e was regarded as a popular picture at the time.
Compound of 俗 (ぞく, 'vulgar, popular') and 画 (が, 'picture'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used to describe art that is accessible to the common people rather than the elite.