What Is Art? 什么是美术？

Art is a diverse range of human activities and the products of those activities, usually involving imaginative or technical skill. In their most general form these activities include the production of works of art, the criticism of art, the study of the history of art, and the aesthetic dissemination of art. This article focuses primarily on the visual arts, which includes the creation of images or objects in fields including painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and other visual media. Architecture is often included as one of the visual arts; however, like the decorative arts, it involves the creation of objects where the practical considerations of use are essential—in a way that they usually are not in a painting, for example. Music, theatre, film, dance, and other performing arts, as well as literature and other media such as interactive media, are included in a broader definition of art or the arts.^[1] Until the 17th century, art referred to any skill or mastery and was not differentiated from crafts or sciences. In modern usage after the 17th century, where aesthetic considerations are paramount, the fine arts are separated and distinguished from acquired skills in general, such as the decorative or applied arts.

Art may be characterized in terms of mimesis (its representation of reality), expression, communication of emotion, or other qualities. During the Romantic period, art came to be seen as "a special faculty of the human mind to be classified with religion and science".^[2] Though the definition of what constitutes art is disputed^[3][4][5] and has changed over time, general descriptions mention an idea of imaginative or technical skill stemming from human agency^[6] and creation.^[7]

The nature of art, and related concepts such as creativity and interpretation, are explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics.^[8]

美术，指占据一定平面或空间、具有可视形象以供欣赏的艺术。也叫造型艺术、视觉艺术。按照目的可分为两大类，即纯美术和工艺美术两类。“美术”这一名词始见于欧洲17世纪，也有人认为正式出现于18世纪中叶。近代日本以汉字意译，五四运动前后传入中国，开始普遍应用。

艺术门类之一。用一定的物质材料，如颜色、纸张、画布、泥土、石头、木料、金属、木头等，塑造可视的平面或立体的视觉形象，以反映自然和社会生活，表达艺术家思想观念和感情的一种艺术活动。也叫造型艺术、视觉艺术。主要包括绘画、雕塑、工艺美术、建筑艺术等。

欧洲17世纪开始使用“美术”这一名词时，泛指具有美学意义的活动及其产物，如绘画、雕塑、建筑、文学、音乐、舞蹈等。也有 认为“美术”一词正式出现应在18世纪中叶。18世纪产业革命后，美术范围益见扩大，有绘画、雕塑、工艺美术、建筑艺术等，在东方还涉及书法和篆刻艺术等。中国五四运动前后开始普遍应用这一名词。近数十年来欧美各国已不大使用“美术”一词，往往以“艺术”一词统摄之。