What is art ?
Derived from the Latin word "ars" (meaning
"skill" or "craft") - is a
useful starting point. This
broad approach leads to art being defined
as: "the product of a body of
knowledge, most often using a set of
skills." Thus Renaissance painters
and sculptors were viewed merely
as highly skilled artisans
(interior-decorators?). No wonder Leonardo
Da Vinci and Michelangelo went to
such efforts to elevate the status
of artists (and by implication art itself)
onto a more intellectual plane.
Art is a discovery and development of elementary principles of nature into beautiful forms suitable for human use.