fine art

[fahyn ahrt]

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.

fine art

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of fine art¹

First recorded in 1760–70

Idioms and Phrases

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]