Editing Fine art (section)

== Visual arts ==
=== Two-dimensional works ===

==== Painting and drawing ====
{{Main|Painting|Drawing}}
Painting as a fine art means applying paint to a flat surface (as opposed for example to painting a sculpture, or a piece of pottery), typically using several colours. Prehistoric painting that has survived was applied to natural rock surfaces, and wall painting, especially on wet plaster in the [[fresco]] technique was a major form until recently. Portable paintings on wood panel or canvas have been the most important in the Western world for several centuries, mostly in [[tempera]] or [[oil painting]].  Asian painting has more often used paper, with the monochrome [[ink and wash painting]] tradition dominant in [[East Asia]].  Paintings that are intended to go in a book or album are called "miniatures", whether for a Western [[illuminated manuscript]] or in [[Persian miniature]] and its [[Ottoman miniature|Turkish]] equivalent, or [[Indian painting]]s of various types. [[Watercolour]] is the western version of painting in paper; forms using [[gouache]], chalk, and similar mediums without brushes are really forms of drawing.

Drawing is one of the major forms of the visual arts, and painters need drawing skills as well. Common instruments include: [[graphite]] [[pencil]]s, [[pen and ink]], [[ink]]ed [[brush]]es, wax [[color pencil]]s, [[crayon]]s, [[charcoal]]s, [[chalk]], [[pastel]]s, [[marker pen|markers]], [[stylus]], or various metals like [[silverpoint]].  There are a number of subcategories of drawing, including [[cartooning]] and creating [[comics]].

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The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch High Resolution.jpg|''[[The Garden of Earthly Delights]]''; by [[Hieronymus Bosch]]; {{circa|1504}}; oil on panel, {{Lang|es|[[Museo del Prado]]}}
Creación de Adán.jpg|''[[The Creation of Adam]]''; by [[Michelangelo]]; 1508–1512; fresco;[[Sistine Chapel]]
Miraj by Sultan Muhammad.jpg|[[Persian miniature]] of the [[Isra and Mi'raj|Mi'raj]] of the Prophet by [[Sultan Mohammed]], 1539–1543; [[British Library]]
Fragonard - swing.jpg|''[[The Swing (Fragonard)|The Swing]]''; by [[Jean-Honoré Fragonard]]; 1767–1768; oil on canvas; [[Wallace Collection]]
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==== Mosaics ====
{{Main|Mosaic}}
Mosaics are images formed with small pieces of stone or glass, called ''[[tessera]]e''.  They can be decorative or functional.  An artist who designs and makes mosaics is called a mosaic artist or a mosaicist. Ancient [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]] and [[Roman architecture|Romans]] created realistic mosaics. Mythological subjects, or scenes of hunting or other pursuits of the wealthy, were popular as the centrepieces of a larger geometric design, with strongly emphasized borders.<ref>{{cite book |last=Capizzi |first=Padre |title=Piazza Armerina: The Mosaics and Morgantina |year=1989 |publisher=International Specialized Book Service Inc.}}</ref> Early Christian [[basilica]]s from the 4th century onwards were decorated with wall and ceiling mosaics. The most famous [[Byzantium|Byzantine]] basilicas decorated with mosaics are the [[Basilica of San Vitale]] from [[Ravenna]] (Italy) and [[Hagia Sophia]] from [[Istanbul]] (Turkey).

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MosaicEpiphany-of-Dionysus.jpg|''Epiphany of [[Dionysus]]''; 2nd century AD; from the Villa of Dionysus; [[Archeological Museum of Dion]]
P1170845 Louvre jugement de Pâris Ma3443 rwk.jpg|''[[Judgment of Paris]]''; 115–150 AD, from the Atrium House triclinium in [[Antioch-on-the-Orontes]]
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore abside a Roma.jpg|Apse of the ''[[Santa Maria Maggiore]]'' church in [[Rome]], decorated in the 5th century with this glamorous mosaic
Emilia Ravenna5 tango7174.jpg|Interior of the [[Basilica of San Vitale]] from [[Ravenna]] (Italy), decorated with elaborate mosaics
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==== Printmaking ====
[[File:Dürer Melancholia I.jpg|thumb|''[[Melencolia I]]'', 1514, [[engraving]] by [[Albrecht Dürer]]]]
{{Main|Printmaking}}
[[Printmaking]] covers the making of images on paper that can be reproduced multiple times by a [[printing]] process. It has been an important artistic medium for several centuries, in the West and East Asia. Major historic techniques include [[engraving]], [[woodcut]] and [[etching]] in the West, and [[woodblock printing]] in East Asia, where the Japanese [[ukiyo-e]] style is the most important. The 19th-century invention of [[lithography]] and then photographic techniques have partly replaced the historic techniques.  Older prints can be divided into the fine art [[Old Master print]] and [[popular print]]s, with book illustrations and other practical images such as maps somewhere in the middle.

Except in the case of [[monotyping]], the process is capable of producing multiples of the same piece, which is called a print. Each print is considered an original, as opposed to a copy. The reasoning behind this is that the print is not a reproduction of another [[work of art]] in a different medium – for instance, a painting – but rather an image designed from inception as a print. An individual print is also referred to as an impression. Prints are created from a single original surface, known technically as a [[Matrix (printing)|matrix]]. Common types of matrices include: plates of metal, usually copper or zinc for [[engraving]] or [[etching]]; stone, used for lithography; blocks of wood for woodcuts, linoleum for [[linocut]]s and fabric in the case of [[screen-printing]]. But there are many other kinds.  Multiple nearly identical prints can be called an [[edition (printmaking)|edition]]. In modern times each print is often signed and numbered forming a "limited edition". Prints may also be published in book form, as [[artist's book]]s. A single print could be the product of one or multiple techniques.

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Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione - The Creation of Adam - Google Art Project.jpg|[[Monotype]] by the technique's inventor, [[Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione]], ''The Creation of Adam'', {{Circa|1642}}
Hokusai, The Underwave off Kanagawa.jpg|''[[The Great Wave off Kanagawa]]''; 1829–1833; color woodblock print;
En plein soleil LACMA M.84.279.3.jpg|''En plein soleil'', [[etching]] by [[James Abbott McNeill Whistler]], 1858
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec - Divan Japonais - Google Art Project.jpg|''[[Divan Japonais (lithograph)|Divan Japonais]]''; by [[Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec]]; 1893–1894; Crayon, brush, spatter and transferred screen lithograph.
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==== Calligraphy ====
{{Main|Calligraphy}}
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner".<ref name="Mediavilla">{{cite book |author=Mediavilla, C. |year=1996 |title=Calligraphy |publisher=Scirpus Publications}}</ref> Modern calligraphy ranges from functional hand-lettered inscriptions and designs to fine-art pieces where the abstract expression of the handwritten mark may or may not compromise the legibility of the letters.<ref name="Mediavilla" /> Classical calligraphy differs from typography and non-classical hand-lettering, though a calligrapher may create all of these; characters are historically disciplined yet fluid and spontaneous, improvised at the moment of writing.<ref>{{cite book |author=Pott, G. |year=2006 |title=Kalligrafie: Intensiv Training |publisher=Verlag Hermann Schmidt Mainz}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Pott, G. |year=2005 |title=Kalligrafie:Erste Hilfe und Schrift-Training mit Muster-Alphabeten |publisher=Verlag Hermann Schmidt Mainz}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=*[[Hermann Zapf|Zapf, H.]] |year=2007 |title=Alphabet Stories: A Chronicle of Technical Developments |publisher=Cary Graphic Arts Press |location=Rochester}}</ref>

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LindisfarneFol27rIncipitMatt.jpg|Folio 27r from the [[Lindisfarne Gospels]]; 8th century; [[Cotton Library]] ([[British Library]], London)
Mi Fu-On Calligraphy.jpg|''On Calligraphy'' by [[Mi Fu]], [[Song dynasty]] China
Folio from a Koran (8th-9th century).jpg|[[Islamic calligraphy]]: Folio from a [[Koran]] (8–9th century), [[Abbasid]] [[Kufic]] Calligraphy
Malnazar - Decorated Incipit Page - Google Art Project.jpg|Page of an [[Armenia]]n [[illuminated manuscript]]; 1637–1638; [[Getty Center]] (Los Angeles, USA)
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==== Photography ====
{{Main|Fine-art photography}}
''Fine art photography'' refers to photographs that are created to fulfill the creative vision of the artist. Fine art photography stands in contrast to photojournalism and commercial photography.  Photojournalism visually communicates stories and ideas, mainly in print and digital media. Fine art photography is created primarily as an expression of the artist's vision, but has also been important in advancing certain causes.
Depiction of nudity has been one of the dominating themes in fine-art photography.

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067- Alfred Stieglitz, c.1916.jpg|[[Alfred Stieglitz]] nude, circa 1916
Man Ray, Lampshade, 391, n. 13, July 1920.jpg|[[Man Ray]], ''Lampshade'', reproduced in [[391 (magazine)|391]], n. 13, July 1920
Eugène Atget, Paris Interior, ca. 1910.jpg|Interior from Paris; taken by [[Eugène Atget]] circa 1910
Adams The Tetons and the Snake River.jpg|''The Tetons and the Snake River''; 1942; by [[Ansel Adams]]
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=== Three-dimensional works ===
==== Architecture ====
{{Main|Architecture}}
[[Architecture]] is frequently considered a fine art, especially if its [[aesthetics|aesthetic]] components are spotlighted – in contrast to [[structural engineering|structural-engineering]] or [[construction management|construction-management]] components. Architectural works are perceived as cultural and political [[symbol]]s and works of art. Historical [[civilization]]s often are known primarily through their architectural achievements. Such buildings as the [[pyramids]] of [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]] and the Roman [[Colosseum]] are cultural symbols, and are important links in public consciousness, even when [[scholars]] have discovered much about past civilizations through other means. Cities, regions, and cultures continue to identify themselves with, and are known by, their architectural monuments.<ref>The [[Tower Bridge]], the [[Eiffel Tower]] and the [[Colosseum]] are representative of the buildings used on advertising brochures.</ref>

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Parthenon (30276156187).jpg|The [[Parthenon]] in the [[Acropolis of Athens]], dedicated to the [[Greek gods|goddess]] [[Athena]]
File:Colosseo 2020.jpg|The [[Colosseum]] in [[Rome]]
Moscou.- La Cathédrale Basile-le-Bienheureux.jpg|[[Saint Basil's Cathedral]] from the [[Red Square]] (Moscow)
Stift Wilhering Kirche Orgel 01.jpg|Interior of the [[Wilhering Abbey]] ([[Wilhering]], [[Austria]]), an example of [[Rococo]] architecture
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==== Pottery ====
{{Main|Pottery|Ceramic}}
With some modern exceptions, [[pottery]] is not considered as fine art, but "fine pottery" remains a valid technical term, especially in [[archaeology]].  "Fine wares" are high-quality pottery, often painted, moulded or otherwise decorated, and in many periods distinguished from "coarse wares", which are basic utilitarian pots used by the mass of the population, or in the kitchen rather than for more formal purposes.

Even when, as with [[porcelain]] figurines, a piece of pottery has no practical purpose, the making of it is typically a collaborative and semi-industrial one, involving many participants with different skills.

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Baltimore Painter - Volute Krater - Walters 4886 - Side A.jpg|[[Ancient Greek art|Ancient Greek]] volute krater; 320–310 BC; ceramic; height: 1.1 m; [[Walters Art Museum]] ([[Baltimore]], US)
The David Vases.jpg|The [[David Vases]]; 1351 (the Yuan dynasty); porcelain, cobalt blue decor under glaze; height: 63.8&nbsp;cm; [[British Museum]] (London)
Oval basin or dish with subject from Amadis of Gaul MET DP320592.jpg|[[Renaissance art|Renaissance]] oval basin or dish with subject from Amadis of Gaul; circa 1559–1564; maiolica; overall: 6 × 67.3 × 52.4&nbsp;cm; [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] (New York City)
The Elements, Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory - Indianapolis Museum of Art - DSC00573.JPG|[[Rococo]] [[personification]]s of [[Classical element]]s; 1760s; by the [[Chelsea porcelain factory]]; [[Indianapolis Museum of Art]] ([[Indianapolis]], USA)
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==== Sculpture ====
{{Main|Sculpture}}
[[Sculpture]] is [[Three-dimensional space|three-dimensional]] artwork created by shaping hard or [[plastic]] material, commonly [[Stone sculpture|stone]] (either [[Rock (geology)|rock]] or [[marble]]), [[metal]], or [[wood]]. Some sculptures are created directly by [[wikt:carving|carving]]; others are assembled, built up and [[Kiln|fired]], [[Welding|welded]], [[Molding (process)|molded]], or [[Casting|cast]]. Because sculpture involves the use of materials that can be moulded or modulated, it is considered one of the [[plastic arts]]. The majority of [[public art]] is sculpture. Many sculptures together in a [[garden]] setting may be referred to as a [[sculpture garden]].

Sculpture in stone survives far better than works of [[Visual arts|art]] in perishable materials, and often represents the majority of the surviving works (other than [[pottery]]) from ancient cultures; conversely, traditions of sculpture in wood may have vanished almost entirely. However, most ancient sculpture was brightly painted, and this has been lost.<ref name="artmuseums.harvard.edu">[http://www.artmuseums.harvard.edu/exhibitions/sackler/godsInColor.html "Gods in Color: Painted Sculpture of Classical Antiquity" September 2007 to January 2008, The Arthur M. Sackler Museum] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104060402/http://www.artmuseums.harvard.edu/exhibitions/sackler/godsInColor.html |date=4 January 2009 }}</ref>

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'David' by Michelangelo Fir JBU002.jpg|''[[David (Michelangelo)|David]]''; by [[Michelangelo]]; 1501–1504; marble; 517&nbsp;cm × 199&nbsp;cm; [[Galleria dell'Accademia]] (Florence)
Nofretete Neues Museum.jpg|The ''[[Nefertiti Bust]]''; 1352–1332 BC; painted [[limestone]]; height: 50&nbsp;cm; [[Neues Museum]] ([[Berlin]], Germany)
Front views of the Venus de Milo.jpg|''[[Venus de Milo]]''; 130–100 BC; marble; height: 203&nbsp;cm (80&nbsp;in); Louvre
LouisXIV-Bernini.jpg|The ''[[Bust of Louis XIV (Bernini)|Bust of Louis XIV]]'' by Gian Lorenzo Bernini; 1665; marble; 105 × 99 × 46&nbsp;cm; Palace of Versailles
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=== Conceptual art ===
[[File:An Oak Tree (conceptual art installation).jpg|thumb|''[[An Oak Tree]]'' by [[Michael Craig-Martin]], 1973]]
{{Main|Conceptual art}}
Conceptual art is art in which the concept(s) or idea(s) involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns.
The inception of the term in the 1960s referred to a strict and focused practice of ''idea-based art'' that often defied traditional visual criteria associated with the visual arts in its presentation as text. However, through its association with the [[Young British Artists]] and the [[Turner Prize]] during the 1990s, its popular usage, particularly in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], developed as a synonym for all [[contemporary art]] that does not practice the traditional skills of [[painting]] and [[sculpture]].<ref name="tateconceptual">[http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/conceptual-art''Conceptual art'' Tate online glossary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320082742/http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/conceptual-art |date=20 March 2015 }} tate.org.uk. Retrieved 7 August 2014.</ref>