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]

Example Sentences

The Corp. for Public Broadcasting was also a vital revenue source for cultural and fine arts programming that often struggles to sustain itself in the commercial media marketplace.

From Los Angeles Times

Gutiérrez, who graduated with a master of fine arts degree from the University of Southern California in May, was determined to perform the piece before leaving for her hometown, Guadalajara.

From Los Angeles Times

She’s taught us how to kickstart a successful business, master the fine art of entertaining, whip up a delicious One-Pan Pasta, tend to our outdoor garden and fold a fitted sheet.

From Salon

She committed to the craft partly as a means to stay in the country — she needed a visa, so she applied to UC Santa Barbara, where she got her master’s in fine arts in 1978.

From Los Angeles Times

Piscitelli both curated and designed the exhibition in San Francisco, whose reproduced images are not set in precious frames, like fine art, but printed on recyclable cardboard panels resting on Home Depot galvanized studs.

From Los Angeles Times