Week 1 Discussion 2: What Is a Work of Art?

If art lacks a clear definition, what criteria are used to determine what a work of art is? Please look at several works on any museum website to discuss what constitutes “art.” Some major museums include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, or National Gallery of Art, or consider finding a local museum. The permanent collection is normally under the Collections link, but feel free to explore the entire website for your selection.

For the initial post, address the following:

• What approaches should we take in responding to a work of art?
• Select an example of art that fits your definition of art and provide an example of non-art (either from the site or in the world around you).
• Determine how line, color, texture, and/or composition are part of your definition.

Week 1 Discussion 2: What Is a Work of Art? Answer

Please look at several works on any museum website to discuss what constitutes “art.”

I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website and went through different works of art from various artists. I also found an article on the Mona Lisa Painting. After the in-depth analysis of the artifacts, I integrated my research and discovered the following aspects. 

According to Wallach (1997), ‘Good Art’ has different definitions depending on various perspectives. Some of the artists believe that something is good art if there is a consensus among informed people. Notably, these informed people include curators, artists, dealers, and collectors (Wallach, 1997)