Online Encyclopedia
Fine art
Fine art is a term used to refer to fields traditionally considered to be artistic. It is also used to describe "high-quality" works from these fields.
"Fine art" differs from "useful art" (craft) in that it is purely aesthetic, whereas crafts are made to serve a practical purpose. Example: a sculpture of a teapot that does not actually work is fine art, whereas one that does work is craft.
The line is blurred when fine decoration is applied to a useful item, such as a quilt, eating utensils, furniture, or decorative architecture such as caryatids. In some cases, a finely decorated useful item may be put on display for its aesthetic value rather than used. In a few cases, classes of items that were formerly useful are now regarded as belonging to the fine arts; for example, tapestries, which used to be used as insulation, are now used purely for decoration in many cultures.
The Fine Arts
- Dance
- Design
- Drawing
- Film
- Literature (aesthetic)
- Music
- Opera
- Painting
- Photography
- Printmaking
- Sculpture
- Textiles (aesthetic)
- Theater
See also
- art
- visual arts and design
- contemporary art
- artist
- painter
- sculptor
- engraver
- art history
- art historian
- connoisseur
- actor
- musician
- singer
- Academy of Fine Arts