Homeschool World Forum

It's hard to define fine art, because there are differing opinions as to what fine art is. Generally speaking, though, it's going to mean painting, sculpture, etc. from ancient Greece and Rome, the Renaissance period, and a short list of more contemporary artists such as Monet or Picasso. No, foreign language is not a fine art, neither are sports. I don't think photography qualifies either as fine art, though it could be considered art.

Definitions of fine art on the Web:

* Art created for purely aesthetic expression, communication, or contemplation. Painting and sculpture are the best known of the fine arts.
www.yannisstavrou.gr/art-glossary.htm

* art that is created for its own aesthetic purpose rather than for a practical, utility purpose. "Art for art's sake.
www.worldimages.com/art_glossary.php

* works made to be enjoyed, not functional, and judged by the theories of art.
www.ket.org/artstoolkit/visual/glossary.htm

* usually refers to the traditional, Western European notion of the `high arts' (eg painting, sculpture, architecture, poetry, music)
en.wikibooks.org/wiki/SA_NCS_Visual_Arts:Glossary

* type of art primarily created for the purpose of providing beauty and enjoyment rather than for commercial use. It is often intended to be uplifting, thought provoking, and life-enhancing.
www.globaled.org/chinaproject/teachingm ... ssary2.doc

* Fine art is actually the visual arts which include painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture and some performance art but excludes other art forms such as poetry, literature, dance and music.
www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A779448

* art: the products of human creativity; works of art collectively; "an art exhibition"; "a fine collection of art"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

* Fine art refers to arts that are "concerned and designates a limited number of visual art forms, including painting, sculpture, architecture and printmaking. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine art