Definition of Fine Arts

The term art is related to all kinds of activities. However, when talking about Fine Arts, reference is made to seven specific ways of understanding the beauty of art: painting, sculpture, architecture, music, literature, dance and movie theater. Cinema began to be considered one of the fine arts at the beginning of the 20th century and for this reason it is known as the seventh art.

The origin of this classification

For thousands of years the human being has expressed himself through very diverse artistic forms, but In the eighteenth century (the century of enlightenment) the need arose to order and classify the world of art. It must be taken into account that in that historical context the academies of the different knowledge arose, the first encyclopedias and, in short, there was a weather intellectual in which it was necessary to establish a certain order in the art world. Thus, the six initial arts were considered the purest and most universal expressions.

The permanent debate about your organization

Photography, gastronomy, the circus, jewelry or video art are ways of understanding art that are not part of the classification traditional that emerged in the eighteenth century. This fact provokes an intense debate and reveals a problem: why do the seven Fine Arts have a status and a greater recognition than other cultural manifestations?

What does a Fine Arts student study and what are the career opportunities?

The contents are very diverse: the history of each art and its most significant currents, aesthetic ideas and art theory, the techniques of each discipline, the role it fulfills in the whole of society or the creative process. And all this in combination with new technologies.

From a professional point of view, the art world offers multiple possibilities. If you have a creative streak and an artistic sensibility it is possible to dedicate yourself to one of its innumerable branches, as well as to the restoration or conservation of cultural heritage. The field of teaching is a valid option for those who have a vocation as a teacher and an artistic spirit.

On the other hand, we must not forget the art or auction market, the world of design and graphic arts, the production of shows or the appraisal of works of art. Ultimately, Fine Arts are related to creative professions (for example, the advertising), with artisan activities (for example, ceramics), with decoration or with leisure (tour guides have to know the history of art in depth).

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