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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printmaking
printmaking, an art form consisting of the production of images, usually on paper but occasionally on fabric, parchment,...
Op art
Op art, branch of mid-20th-century geometric abstract art that deals with optical illusion. Achieved through the systematic...
African art
African art, the visual arts of native Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, including such media as sculpture, painting,...
Scottish Enlightenment
Scottish Enlightenment, the conjunction of minds, ideas, and publications in Scotland during the whole of the second half...
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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.
Articles
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Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara
Irish architects
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Andrea Palladio
Italian architect
- Latin American architecture
Arts Awards
Awards such as the Praemium Imperiale and the Pritzker Prize honor artists for a job well done.
Articles
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Prix Goncourt
French literary prize
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Costa Book Awards
literary award
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Booker Prize
British literary 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.
Articles
- pottery
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Pollaiuolo brothers
Italian artists
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mosaic
art
Fashion Design
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.
Articles
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Cindy Crawford
American fashion model
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Tom Ford
American 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.
Articles
- comic strip
- calligraphy
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Tintoretto
Italian painter
Installation & Performance Art
Learn about the artists who create installation art, which can incorporate a variety of different materials and artistic forms, such as sculptures, videos, and music, all with the purpose of transforming a given space. Performance artists may also make use of videos and music—as well as such varied elements as acting, poetry, dance, and painting—to create a live presentation for an audience; here, the audience could consist of onlookers on the street or patrons browsing the halls of a museum, among countless other possibilities.
Articles
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Robert Smithson
American sculptor and writer
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Dan Graham
American artist
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Eduardo Kac
Brazilian American 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.
Articles
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Mona Lisa
painting by Leonardo da Vinci
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Futurism
the arts
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Liberty Leading the People
painting by Delacroix
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.
Articles
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Bernd Becher and Hilla Becher
German photographers
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John Heartfield
German artist
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Walker Evans
American photographer
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.
Articles
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ivory carving
art form
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Andrea del Verrocchio
Italian painter and sculptor
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Futurism
the arts