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, July 03, 2024
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garden and landscape design
Garden and landscape design, the development and decorative planting of gardens, yards, grounds, parks, and other types of...
Baroque art and architecture
Baroque art and architecture, the visual arts and building design and construction produced during the era in the history...
Early Netherlandish art
Early Netherlandish art, sculpture, painting, architecture, and other visual arts created in the several domains that in...
abstract art
Abstract art, painting, sculpture, or graphic art in which the portrayal of things from the visible world plays little or...
Visual Arts Quizzes
Visual Arts Videos
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Visual Arts
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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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Alison Smithson and Peter Smithson
British architects
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Louis Sullivan
American architect
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Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara
Irish architects
Arts Awards
Awards such as the Praemium Imperiale and the Pritzker Prize honor artists for a job well done.
Articles
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Governor General’s Literary Awards
Canadian awards
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Akutagawa Prize
Japanese literary prize
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Women’s Prize for Fiction
English literary prize
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
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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shoe
footwear
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dress
clothing
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Coco Chanel
French 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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El Greco
Spanish artist
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Rembrandt
Dutch artist
- comic strip
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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Lee Ufan
Korean artist, critic, philosopher, and poet
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Banksy
British graffiti artist
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Ann Hamilton
American installation 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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Post-Impressionism
art
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Western painting
art
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Novgorod school
art
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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Hannah Höch
German artist
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Edward S. Curtis
American photographer
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Eugène Atget
French 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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Henry Moore
British artist
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Joan Miró
Spanish artist
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Auguste Rodin
French sculptor