art

art art and part in an accessory or participant in (by art in contriving or part in executing).
art for art's sake the idea that a work has no purpose beyond itself; the slogan of aestheticians holding that the chief or only aim of a work of art is the self-expression of the individual artist who creates it.
art is long and life is short this saying, reflecting on the contrast between the immensity of knowledge and understanding required by art, and the limited opportunity offered by one lifespan, is first recorded in English in the works of Chaucer (‘the lyf so short, the craft so long to learn’). The idea however goes back to the Greek physician Hippocrates, of the 5th century bc, whose aphorism ‘life is short, but art is long’ compared the difficulties encountered in learning the art of medicine or healing with the shortness of human life. The Roman phlilosopher and poet Seneca referred to the saying in his dialogue ‘On the Brevity of Life’, and the usual Latin form of the tag ars longa, vita brevis is derived from this.

See also art deco, art nouveau, Arts and Crafts Movement.