What Makes Something a Work of Art?

What is art? Many pages have been written in an effort to answer this question and many discussions inevitably arise when the topic is tossed into a crowd. You've probably heard the saying, "One picture is worth more than a thousand words" - I happen to think that this old Chinese proverb pretty much hits the nail on the head. Art is a way of telling a story, sharing a point of view or expressing an idea or feeling. Simply put, art is a form of communication that goes beyond language. You don't need to know how to speak Italian to look at a Leonardo Da Vinci painting, nor do you need to understand French to look at a Henri Matisse sculpture.

No race or culture is without artistic expression. From the magical images of Prehistoric man and the religious designs of early monks to Renaissance portraits commissioned by the wealthy and the unique and (at the time), innovative beauty of the Impressionists - throughout history, men and women have used art to tell a story.

It's important to note that when an artist creates a painting or a sculpture, he or she is selecting from literally thousands of possible ideas or objects to create on canvas, in clay or on wood. Likewise, how an artist interprets the subject he/she is depicting, varies greatly.

Let's look at a few examples…