Visual Arts
These are the arts that meet the eye and evoke an emotion through an expression of skill and imagination. They include the most ancient forms, such as painting and drawing, and the arts that were born thanks to the development of technology, like sculpture, printmaking, photography, and installation art. Though beauty is in the eye of the beholder, different eras in art history have had their own principles to define beauty, from the richly ornamented taste of the Baroque to the simple utilitarian style of the Prairie School.
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Featured content, December 23, 2024
The Most Stolen Work of Art
Jan van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece has been stolen by Napoleon and Hitler, among others.
Why Have There Been Plans to Build a New Colossus of Rhodes?
Find out about attempts to bring the ancient Colossus of Rhodes statue into the 21st century.
What’s the Difference Between Modern and Contemporary Art?
Is that odd installation piece that rains on you when you get near it modern or contemporary art? Here are some tips on how...
Mesopotamian art and architecture
Mesopotamian art and architecture, the art and architecture of the ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. The name Mesopotamia...
naïve art
Naïve art, work of artists in sophisticated societies who lack or reject conventional expertise in the representation or...
Julien Levy
Julien Levy was an American art dealer, who was known for launching the careers of some of the most significant artists of...
drawing
Drawing, the art or technique of producing images on a surface, usually paper, by means of marks, usually of ink, graphite,...
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Visual Arts Subcategories
Architecture
Architecture is a sphere of art and design in which functionality and aesthetics can combine to produce visually stunning structures that manage to both catch the eye and serve a functional purpose. The expansive variety of architectural styles that have been employed throughout the ages underscores the fact that not every building need look the same, a principle that is readily apparent when comparing Gothic cathedrals with igloos or pagodas with cliff dwellings. Although architecture is commonly associated first and foremost with the design and construction of buildings, landscape architects may work with gardens, parks, and other planned outdoor areas, aiding in the development and decorative planning of such spaces.
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Fallingwater
house, Mill Run, Pennsylvania, United States
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Notre-Dame de Paris
cathedral, Paris, France
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Michelangelo
Italian artist
Arts Awards
Awards such as the Praemium Imperiale and the Pritzker Prize honor artists for a job well done.
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Praemium Imperiale
international arts award
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Commonwealth Book Prize
international literary award
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Pritzker Prize
international architectural award
Decorative Art
People appreciate the usefulness of things like glassware and furniture, but they appreciate such objects even more when they’re aesthetically pleasing, too. That’s where decorative art comes in. Explore the world of basketry, metalwork, pottery, interior design, tapestry, and more.
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Fashion & Personal Adornment
Looking to make a statement without ever saying a word? Fashion designers know that clothing and accessories can speak volumes about the wearer, affecting both how the wearer is perceived by others and how the wearer perceives of him- or herself. The fashion industry has become a multibillion-dollar global enterprise devoted to the business of making and selling clothes; it thrives by being diverse and flexible enough to gratify any consumer's desire to embrace or reject fashionability, however that term might be defined.
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Miuccia Prada
Italian fashion designer
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Alexander McQueen
British fashion designer
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Gianni Versace
Italian fashion designer
Graphic Art
Calligraphy, graffiti, engraving, caricature: graphic art's domain stretches as far as the eye can see. Take a look at some of the other types of graphic art, and learn more about the artists working within this category of fine arts.
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drafting
graphics
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drawing
art
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caricature and cartoon
graphic arts
Installation & Performance Art
audience" could consist of onlookers on the street or patrons browsing the halls of a museum, among countless other possibilities.
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Yayoi Kusama
Japanese artist
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Tracey Emin
British artist
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Zhang Huan
Chinese artist
Painting
Need help distinguishing your Picassos from your Monets? Learn about history’s celebrated painters and the different styles, techniques, mediums, and forms that have been used to create such unique visual images as Salvador Dalí’s melting clock and the ever-shifting eyes of Leonardo da Vinci’s enigmatic Mona Lisa.
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Impressionism
art
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Last Supper
painting by Leonardo da Vinci
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Symbolism
literary and artistic movement
Photography
Photography’s history began long before we were snapping pictures on camera phones. Learn about the masters of the craft and explore the development of photographic technology as it progressed through daguerreotypes and tintypes on the way to modern day’s increasingly sophisticated digital cameras.
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Edward S. Curtis
American photographer
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Eugène Atget
French photographer
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Bernd Becher and Hilla Becher
German photographers
Sculpture
Looking to find a use for that extra clay, stone, plaster, or metal that you have lying around? Consider sculpture, in which artists employ these materials and others to create three-dimensional art. Perhaps you’ll join the ranks of noted sculptors such as Michelangelo, Auguste Rodin, and Donatello.
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Lorenzo Ghiberti
Italian sculptor
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Pablo Picasso
Spanish artist
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Edgar Degas
French artist