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Art & Art History vocabulary · Describing & Interpreting Art

Aesthetic

Meaning in art & art history, with examples

/esˈθetɪk/adjectiveCommon term

In art & art history, aesthetic means: Connected with beauty and with how something looks and is experienced; as a noun, the particular look or set of artistic ideas of an artist or group.

In Turkish: estetik, estetik anlayış

How it is used

As an adjective: aesthetic value, aesthetic experience, aesthetic choices. As a noun: a minimalist aesthetic, the Bauhaus aesthetic. Aesthetics, with -s, is the branch of philosophy that studies beauty and art.

Example sentences

  1. The museum bought the textile for its historical value, not just its aesthetic qualities.

  2. Her photographs share a cool, minimalist aesthetic.

Common collocations

  • aesthetic value
  • aesthetic experience
  • aesthetic quality
  • a minimalist aesthetic
  • styleThe particular way an artwork looks that links it to an artist, a group, a place or a period, shown in its forms, colours, technique and subjects.
  • critiqueA detailed discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of an artwork; in art schools, a session where students show their work and get feedback from tutors and classmates.
  • masterpieceAn artwork of outstanding quality, or the best work an artist ever made; originally, the piece a craftsman made to be accepted as a master by a guild.
  • compositionThe way the parts of an artwork, such as figures, shapes, colours and empty spaces, are arranged within the picture or space.

More terms: Describing & Interpreting Art

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