Artistheprocessorproductofdeliberatelyarrangingelementsinawaytoaffectthesensesoremotions.Itencompassesadiverserangeofhumanactivities,creations,andmodesofexpression,includingmusic,literature,film,photography,sculpture,andpaintings.Themeaningofartisexploredinabranchofphilosophyknownasaesthetics.

　　Thedefinitionandevaluationofarthasbecomeespeciallyproblematicsincetheearly20thcentury.RichardWollheimdistinguishesthreeapproaches:theRealist,wherebyaestheticqualityisanabsolutevalueindependentofanyhumanview;theObjectivist,wherebyitisalsoanabsolutevalue,butisdependentongeneralhumanexperience;andtheRelativistposition,wherebyitisnotanabsolutevalue,butdependson,andvarieswith,thehumanexperienceofdifferenthumans.Anobjectmaybecharacterizedbytheintentions,orlackthereof,ofitscreator,regardlessofitsapparentpurpose.Acup,whichostensiblycanbeusedasacontainer,maybeconsideredartifintendedsolelyasanornament,whileapaintingmaybedeemedcraftifmass-produced.

　　Traditionally,thetermartwasusedtorefertoanyskillormastery.ThisconceptionchangedduringtheRomanticperiod,whenartcametobeseenas"aspecialfacultyofthehumanmindtobeclassifiedwithreligionandscience".Generally,artismadewiththeintentionofstimulatingthoughtsandemotions.

　　ThenatureofarthasbeendescribedbyRichardWollheimas"oneofthemostelusiveofthetraditionalproblemsofhumanculture".Ithasbeendefinedasavehiclefortheexpressionorcommunicationofemotionsandideas,ameansforexploringandappreciatingformalelementsfortheirownsake,andasmimesisorrepresentation.LeoTolstoyidentifiedartasauseofindirectmeanstocommunicatefromonepersontoanother.BenedettoCroceandR.G.Collingwoodadvancedtheidealistviewthatartexpressesemotions,andthattheworkofartthereforeessentiallyexistsinthemindofthecreator.ThetheoryofartasformhasitsrootsinthephilosophyofImmanuelKant,andwasdevelopedintheearlytwentiethcenturybyRogerFryandCliveBell.ArtasmimesisorrepresentationhasdeeprootsinthephilosophyofAristotle.Morerecently,thinkersinfluencedbyMartinHeideggerhaveinterpretedartasthemeansbywhichacommunitydevelopsforitselfamediumforself-expressionandinterpretation.