What is art?

Artists create art. They may draw, paint or make sculptures. The subject of their art usually falls into one of four categories:

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1. Still-life - representations of objects such as a bowl of fruit.
   

   Copyright © The Barnes Foundation, Merion, Pennsylvania, USA Bridgeman

   Still-life with Skull, 1895-1900, Paul Cézanne

2. Portraits - representations of a person.
   

   Copyright © Louvre, Paris, Bridgeman

   Mona Lisa, 1503-6, Leonardo Da Vinci

3. Landscape - representations of a natural or environmental scene.
   

   Copyright © DACS / Pompidou, Paris RMN/ADAGP

   Autumn in Bavaria, 1908, Wassily Kandinsky, © DACS / Pompidou, Paris

4. Abstract - the use of colour and form in a non-representational or subjective way.
   

   Copyright © Prof. Aldo van Eyck, Bridgeman

   Contra Compositie, 1924, Theo van Doesburg

You can find out more about art on the following websites:

• www.artcyclopedia.com
• www.artchive.com
• bbc.co.uk/arts