fine art

American  

[fahyn ahrt] / ˈfaɪn ˈɑrt /

noun

1. a visual art considered to have been created primarily for aesthetic purposes and judged for its beauty and meaningfulness, specifically, painting, sculpture, drawing, watercolor, graphics, and architecture.

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fine art British  

noun

1. art produced chiefly for its aesthetic value, as opposed to applied art

2. Also called: beaux arts.  (often plural) any of the fields in which such art is produced, such as painting, sculpture, and engraving

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fine art Idioms  

1. Something requiring highly developed techniques and skills, as in He's turned lying into a fine art, or The contractor excels in the fine art of demolition. This term alludes to the fine arts, such as music, painting, and sculpture, which require both skill and talent. It is now often used to describe anything that takes skill to do. [First half of 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of fine art

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

But if poetry is about saying a lot in a little—the fine art of distillation—then by the end of its two-hour runtime “A Poet” comes off more like funny but flabby prose.

From The Wall Street Journal

Though various artists have shown in the building over its 100-year history, FAB’s vibrant vision, focused on the intersection of design and fine art media, feels like the right fit for the current moment.

From Los Angeles Times

Feliz has a degree in fine art from the Cooper Union in New York.

From The Wall Street Journal

It feels like a logical jump, then, from the highbrow fine arts to the pop star Beyoncé, whom Ms. Chan describes as “the musician as artist as artwork.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Ms. Dobrzynski writes about fine art for the Journal and other publications.

From The Wall Street Journal