Introduction to Art

Photography, the preferred medium of American artist Man Ray, is considered a fine art.

Art is the study of creative objects such as painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, textile arts, and architecture. Students learn about art by using their creativity to produce objects in studios, and by learning art history in classrooms, museums and at historical sites around the world.

History

Art history textbooks begin the study of art with discussions about cave paintings that date back to the paleolithic era in Lascaux, France. Other historical sites considered essential to the study of art include ruins in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Italy. Today, the study of art and artists focuses on two-dimensional works such as paintings, drawings, etchings and photography, and on three-dimensional works such as sculpture, textile arts, and architecture.

Application

The study of art also includes practical hands-on experiences in classrooms and studios. Art students develop their craft by learning to master techniques of great artists who came before them. Art students present their work to classmates and professors and participate in critiques, an essential part of the art education experience.

Significance

Some believe that the measure of a society is in the quality of the artists and the art it produces. To that end, federal, state and local governments earmark funds for artists to create sculptures and murals, commonly known as public art works, for display in big cities and small towns across America. The National Gallery in Washington, D.C., funded by the federal government, displays works of art by famous American artists and is open to the public seven days a week.

References

• Lascaux
• Sweet Briar College Art History Department: What Is Art?

Resources

• The National Gallery of Art
• New York Academy of Art