The article takes a look back in time at the various definitions of art. It did not always mean fine art, as people considered many other types of work to be art back then such as music and architecture. Today, the shift of fine art from everything in sight has made it less broad, but more precise and specific that what was before.
There has always been a quest for fine art. Throughout history, what is considered to be a “art” has fluctuated. Discover how the definition of art has expanded in the 500+ years since it was first coined, and find out what defines Fine Art now.
Painting
Painting is one of the first forms of art that humans created. It was sometime during the fourth millennium BCE when people primitively painted onto the walls of caves and used materials such as egg tempera and natural pigments. These types of materials were made with substances such as beeswax, crushed minerals, and ink. Soon after painting became a form of art, people began looking at other mediums such as pottery and sculpture in a new light.
The history of what is considered fine art begins with cave paintings. Famous examples include the Lascaux Caves in France which are believed to be over 15,000-years-old, La Tauromaquia in Spain which consists of approximately 17,000 figures of bulls, and caves at Altamira in Spain which were decorated 36,000 years ago by people painting on animal skins that could have been around for days previously. The purest examples of prehistoric painting have been found at the site of Dordogne Pueblan.
Another great example is Cave Wall Painting from Porcupine Cave, a cave level located in Flagstaff, Arizonia
There is a great division in the world of fine art between what is considered to be fine art and most other work, like photography and graphic design. Most experts would agree that paintings are many people’s first introduction to the world of fine art. It has been around for hundreds of years, predating photography by several hundred years.
Sculpture
Sculpture has been around for thousands of years, but became a viable art form in the 1700s. This was due to sculptures becoming more popular during this time due to new technologies; cement and rubber cement were invented and showed that objects could be protected from the elements in different ways. It also paved way for sculpting with materials other than stone and marble. More importantly, it showed how less labor was needed as well as how materials were being processed by new technology for art production.
For older buildings, archeologists usually have to dig down through the mortar on the walls to find out what their remains look like. However with paintings and sculpture, a significant amount of evidence still remains that shows what each artwork looked like and when it was created. Artists often left symbols or signs that show what the text is about or where it was made.
The history of what is considered to be fine art has included many different sculptures. Some are ancient Egyptian and others are from the Renaissance period. Currently, most sculpture exhibits consist of mixed media work that spans all different geographic areas.
Art that is made in form of a model, colored or uncolored, or sometimes both is considered to be non-figurative art. At around 1,800 BC, the ancient Egyptians started using painted colors on three-dimensional objects when they began carvings onto plaster in statues. Since these figures were made of stone they would last longer than painted colors which would fade away or change with time. Eventually paintings ceased and sculpting became a popular medium through the 1600’s and earlier into the century. Nowadays artists use a wide range of different materials for artwork such as acrylic paint for painting to creating sculptures out of clay, bronze tools, plastic and so forth
In 1506, sculptor Michelangelo took up a huge piece of marble on which he finished the sculpture David. Around 22 copies were produced of this sculpture all over Europe. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, pieces of art started to incorporate a significant amount of metal in them. These sculptures were referred to as “processional bronzes.”
Architecture
Artists have been painting, sculpting, and building sculptures since they began “expressing thoughts and feelings” but we can see the change in the materials used much more when it became a form of physical manifestation. Whether it be “expressionism” or an adherence to classical conventions of decoration, fine art became focused upon how it looked.
Fine art began in the intellectual sphere because of a growing dis-trust in nature. Art began to be produced for its own sake as artists strived to create elevated forms of beauty and meaning with precious materials. There was not yet an appreciation for functional objects that were beautiful. Before long, what was considered fine art had extended beyond churches and public buildings into subjects such as sculpture, painting, music and literature
Cartesianism, Functionalism, and Abstraction during the Enlightenment of the 18th century drastically changed how we view art. In 1765, the architect Antoine Destutt de Tracy proclaimed “art is an imitation of nature” and in 1800, Thomas Jefferson extended this philosophy to include landscape painting and murals because a painting is not just a “picture,” but a part of nature itself. Newton further developed this idea by declaring that God must have an artistic hand because Art = Nature = God.
Art has been around since the beginning of time. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that art received it’s current form known as “fine art”. Before this time, artists created art to decorate the world around them…
By the 17th century, fine arts became defined in European culture through the efforts of the Medici family during the Renaissance. Medicean patronage made art accessible to Florence’s patricians and enabled them to gain a source of artistic self-satisfaction. However, this breadth of appreciation generated vehement opposition among the Medici’s less wealthy rivals.
Parietal fresco by Giuliano da Sangallo, c1530-c1560
The history of fine art is a long and complicated one. Pieces of work that we see as incredibly sophisticated today, like the Mona Lisa, were once considered worthless. The growth of art has been met with many controversies over time.
Throughout history, the art world has been constantly evolving and is still slowly moving towards new artistic frontiers. People have always been curious to try and put their finger on what is considered “fine art”, so there have been a number of disagreements about this topic in between various experts as well. Some good examples of art that has included fine artists are architecture because its characteristics can be seen from a distance and from every angle, which makes it very hard to control. However, others argue that architecture does not really count because it cannot elude the mark of fine art; for example, anyone could create a building.
Art
Art has been around since the beginning of time. It is one of the forms of communication that flourished before any modern language, it’s interaction and meaning. Art can display a variety of different genres and styles. Some consider art to be more artistic than others others choose to include traditional artists in their collection because they are deemed to not represent the reality or tradition related enough, but rather a way of telling fictionalized stories that could happen in today’s society as opposed to historical societies.
Fine art used to refer solely to objects created by wealthy people in rich, fancy settings with a lot of people watching. Now fine art has evolved so that it encompasses the exact opposite of what was once considered its purview.
Art has been around since the beginning of time, people creating things out of stone, clay and wood even before the invention of writing. From the lowliest tools to a beautiful glass goblet, art is relatively easy to identify: it takes any natural or manmade form and uses that as subject. It can take fine art and craft an object for everyday use or make a ceremonial piece to give thanks.
Since art is subjective, there is not one definitive set definition of what constitutes fine art. However, some general distinctions that people usually include are between three types of fine art – sculpture, painting and music.
Poetry
Fine art is a term that means anything created with more skill, effort and time than craft. It can also be seen as something that is considered ‘work of art.’ At one time Poetry was not considered an art because it was written by commoners. However, poets like Virgil brought fine poetry to the crown making their work widely accepted.
Today’s aesthetic is not what art was during its origins. At one point in history, plants, rocks, and animals were considered to be the highest forms of art. Very few people today would consider hanging a random painting on the wall “art.” Yet that used to be okay. In order for something to be considered fine art it has to have certain qualities, no matter what time period it is in. The qualities mentioned include skillful execution, aesthetic qualities, creative success, etc.
Poetry is one of the oldest forms of writing. Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians are known to have created poetry. Also, some poems found in China date back to more than 3000 years ago. One type of poetry that most people come in contact with is what we call today sonnet- a genre of poetry with fourteen lines and specific rhyme schemes (ababbcbcccbcd cdcd efef gg). Within this genre, various famous poets have written thousands of poems about painters, sculptors, and artists such as Monet, van Gogh, and Picasso.
Modern Art and Documentary
Modern art and documentary film have everything in common from their early decades. They both revolutionized what was considered fine art and they both appealed to a much wider audience than the traditional painting and sculpture disciplines as they went ahead to influence many other media forms. Modern art is an exhibition of this movement which has evolved over time through different artists.
Art went through many changes over the centuries. In 1750, a new form of painting came out and was dubbed by many as ‘the painting of ideas’. This new art movement didn’t have formal motifs that you can usually find in art. The reason it most likely is called such is because of its abstract shapes fused with images from nature. Today, this type of work might not be considered to be fine art, but we agree that it still remains beautiful and eye-catching to many.
Conclusion
While the notion of artwork and painting has ranged from the most modest goals to the most grandiose, fine art has always remained a “drawing,” or its forerunner, for profit. However, in the modern era, Fine Art became much more than what was just drawn for profit. With a certain rise in artists making work purely for quality of expression rather than financial gain, Fine Art unexpectedly became what was appreciated and cared about much more so than economic value.
Fine art has a long and diverse history. Throughout history, various types of paintings were considered to be fine art. Some type of paintings were much more popular than others. Over time, as more people are learning about the history of fine art, more people are recognizing fine art from earlier eras as being eligible for this honor.
Fine art changed in style for multiple reasons. One of them is the introduction of Islamic art to Europe during the Middle Ages. This type of artwork began European’s transition into an era when artists looked toward a greater power in order to get their subject matter. The Renaissance brought with it incredible periods of human achievement and innovation which laid the foundation for all art that was created after it, including today’s fine art
