fine art

[ fahyn ]
/ faɪn /

noun

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.
Compare commercial art.

Origin of fine art

First recorded in 1760–70

British Dictionary definitions for fine arts

fine art

noun

art produced chiefly for its aesthetic value, as opposed to applied art
Also called: beaux arts (often plural) any of the fields in which such art is produced, such as painting, sculpture, and engraving

Cultural definitions for fine arts

fine arts

Art that is produced more for beauty or spiritual significance than for physical utility. Painting, sculpture, and music are fine arts.

Idioms and Phrases with fine arts

fine art

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]