The photo is of my paint-by-number painting that I have been working on for months and have made very little progress. At the Addison Athletic Club, a few of us gather once a week to chat and paint. I guess I do more chatting than painting. But I do admire Van Gogh’s sunflowers. To be able to mix the perfect colors, to show the depth of objects, to have the perfect form is beyond my comprehension. I am in awe of such talent. When the skills for painting a picture or making a sculpture were passed out, I must have been in the line for painting a picture with words instead. I certainly feel more relaxed in that medium. The proficiency it takes to bring an inanimate object to life and make it appear as though it has three dimensions on a flat, two-dimensional canvas is inspiring to me. How you place objects in a painting — or in a photograph, for that matter — for maximum effect is a mystery. I marvel at the mental dexterity of artists. Let’s learn more about them.
According to Wikipedia, an artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, the term is also often used in the entertainment business — especially in a business context — for musicians and other performers, although less often for actors. "Artiste" — French for artist — is a variant used in English in this context, but this use has become rare. Use of the term "artist" to describe writers is valid, but less common, and mostly restricted to contexts like used in criticism.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines the older, broad meanings of the term "artist:"
- A learned person or Master of Arts.
- One who pursues a practical science
— traditionally medicine, astrology,
- A follower of a pursuit in which skill
comes by study or practice.
- A follower of a manual art, such as a mechanic.
- One who makes their craft a fine art.
- One who cultivates one of the fine arts — traditionally the arts presided over by the
muses, inspirational goddesses of literature, sciences and the arts.
History
The Greek word "techně" — often translated as "art" — implies mastery of any sort of craft. The adjectival Latin form of the word "technicus" became the source of the English words technique, technology, technical.
In Greek culture each of the nine muses oversaw a different field of human creation:
Calliope ('beautiful-voiced') is the muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses."
Calliope had two famous sons, Orpheus and Linus, by either Apollo or King Oeagrus of Thrace. She taught Orpheus verses for singing. According to Hesiod, she was also the wisest of the muses, as well as the most assertive. She is said to have defeated the daughters of Pierus, king of Thessaly, in a singing match, and then, to punish their presumption, turned them into magpies.
She was sometimes believed to be Homer's muse for the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey.” The Roman epic poet Virgil invokes her in the “Aeneid.”
The Italian poet Dante Alighieri, in his “Divine Comedy,” refers to Calliope:
Here rise to life again, dead poetry! Let it, O holy Muses, for I am yours, And here Calliope, strike a higher key, Accompanying my song with that sweet air which made the wretched Magpies feel a blow that turned all hope of pardon to despair.
— Dante, "Purgatorio", Canto I, lines 7 to 12
American songwriter Bob Dylan dedicates the fourth verse of his 2020 song "Mother of Muses" to her: "I’m falling in love with Calliope / She doesn’t belong to anybody - why not give her to me? / She’s speaking to me, speaking with her eyes / I’ve grown so tired of chasing lies / Mother of Muses wherever you are / I’ve already outlived my life by far."
In Greek mythology, Clio — also spelled Kleio — is the muse of history or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing.
In her capacity as "the proclaimer, glorifier and celebrator of history, great deeds and accomplishments," Clio is the namesake of various modern brands, including the Clio Awards for excellence in advertising. The Cambridge University History Society is informally referred to as Clio, similarly, the Cleo of Alpha Chi society at Trinity College, Connecticut is named after the muse. Likewise, the undergraduate student outreach group for the Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania is known as the Clio Society. Clio also represents history in some coined words in academic usage: cliometrics, cliodynamics.
Clio Bay in Antarctica is named after the muse.
Erato is the muse of lyric poetry — particularly erotic poetry — and mimic imitation. In the Orphic hymn to the Muses, it is Erato who charms the sight. Since the Renaissance, she has mostly been shown with a wreath of myrtle and roses, holding a lyre or a small kithara, a musical instrument often associated with Apollo.
Erato was named with the other muses in Hesiod's “Theogony.” She was also invoked at the beginning of a lost poem, “Rhadine,” that was referred to and briefly quoted by Strabo. The love story of Rhadine made her supposed tomb on the island of Samos a pilgrimage site for star-crossed lovers in the time of Pausanias, and Erato was linked again with love in Plato's “Phaedrus;” nevertheless, even in the third century BC, when Apollonius wrote, the muses were not yet as inextricably linked to specific types of poetry as they became.
Erato is also invoked at the start of book 7 of Virgil's “Aeneid,” which marks the beginning of the second half or "Iliadic" section of the poem.
Euterpe was one of the muses in Greek mythology, presiding over music. In late Classical times, she was named muse of lyric poetry. She has been called “Giver of delight” by ancient poets.
Some people believe that she invented the aulos or double-flute, though most mythographers credit Marsyas or Athena with its invention. Some say she also invented other wind instruments. Euterpe is often depicted holding a flute in artistic renditions of her.
Her and her sisters’ role was to entertain the gods on Mount Olympus. She inspired the development of liberal and fine arts in Ancient Greece, serving as an inspiration to poets, dramatists, and authors such as Homer.
According to the traditions and beliefs of Ancient Greek musicians, they would invoke the aid of Euterpe to inspire, guide and assist them in their compositions. This would often take the form of a prayer for divine inspiration from the minor goddess.
In Greek mythology, Melpomene — initially the muse of chorus — eventually became the muse of tragedy and is now best known in that association.
Melpomene's name was derived from the Greek verb melpô or melpomai meaning "to celebrate with dance and song."
Melpomene is often represented with a tragic mask and wearing the cothurnus, boots traditionally worn by tragic actors. Often, she also holds a knife or club in one hand and the tragic mask in the other.
In Greek and Latin poetry since Horace (d. 8 BC), it was commonly auspicious to invoke Melpomene.
Polyhymnia — alternatively Polymnia — was in Greek mythology the muse of sacred poetry, sacred hymn, dance and eloquence, as well as agriculture and pantomime.
Polyhymnia name comes from the Greek words "poly" meaning "many" and "hymnos" which means "praise."
Polymnia is depicted as very serious, pensive and meditative, and often holding a finger to her mouth, dressed in a long cloak and veil and resting her elbow on a pillar. Polyhymnia is also sometimes credited as being the muse of geometry and meditation.
In “Bibliotheca historica,” Diodorus Siculus wrote, "Polyhymnia, because by her great (polle) praises (humnesis) she brings distinction to writers whose works have won for them immortal fame...".
In astronomy, there are nine asteroids named after the muses. The one named after Polyhymnia is a main belt asteroid discovered by French astronomer Jean Chacornac in 1854.
Polyhymnia appears in Dante's Divine Comedy: Paradiso. Canto XXIII, line 56, and is referenced in modern works of fiction.
In Greek mythology, Terpsichore lends her name to the word "terpsichorean" which means "of or relating to dance."
Terpsichore is the name of a street in New Orleans' historic neighborhoods of Faubourg Lafayette and the Lower Garden District. It runs alongside Euterpe and Melpomene streets, also named for Greek muses.
The character of Wilkins Micawber, Esq, Jr. is described as a "votary of Terpsichore", in an Australian newspaper brought to London by Dan Peggotty in 1850 novel “David Copperfield” by Charles Dickens.
T. S. Eliot in the poem “Jellicle Cats” from “Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats” in 1939 refers to the "terpsichorean powers'" Jellicle Cats have as they dance by the light of the Jellicle Moon.
Terpsichore is referenced in George Orwell's first novel “Burmese Days” in 1934 in a dialogue by one of the minor characters, Mr. Macgegror.
Terpsichore is a role in George Balanchine's ballet “Apollo.”
The Jimmy Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn song "Come Dance with Me," popularized by Frank Sinatra, includes the lyric "what an evening for some Terpsichore."
In the 1936 feature film “Swing Time” starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Lucky (Astaire), when asked by Mr. Gordon why he wishes to learn to dance, answers: "To flirt with Terpsichore."
In the 1947 film “Down To Earth,” Rita Hayworth plays Terpsichore, who is annoyed and visits Earth to change a musical that depicts her in a bad light. Olivia Newton-John plays the muse Terpsichore as "Kira" in the 1980 film “Xanadu,” a remake of “Down To Earth.”
Terpsichore is featured as a character in the 1997 Disney animated film “Hercules.” She appears in the Hercules animated series and plays an active role in the episode “Hercules and the Muse of Dance,” where she tutors Hercules on his dancing to pass in phys ed.
In Greek mythology, Thalia (Ancient Greek: Θάλεια; "the joyous, the flourishing", from Ancient Greek: θάλλειν, thállein; "to flourish, to be verdant"), also spelled Thaleia, was one of the muses, the goddess who presided over comedy and idyllic poetry. In this context her name means "flourishing," because the praises in her songs flourish through time.
Thalia was portrayed as a young woman with a joyous air, crowned with ivy, wearing boots and holding a comic mask in her hand. Many of her statues also hold a bugle and a trumpet (both used to support the actors' voices in ancient comedy), or occasionally a shepherd's staff or a wreath of ivy.
Urania (Ouranía; modern short name Ράνια Ránia; meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven") was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy and in later times, of Christian poetry.
Urania is often associated with universal love. Sometimes identified as the eldest of the divine sisters, Urania inherited Zeus' majesty and power and the beauty and grace of her mother Mnemosyne.
Urania dresses in a cloak embroidered with stars and keeps her eyes and attention focused on the heavens. She is usually represented with a celestial globe to which she points with a little staff. She is able to foretell the future by the arrangement of the stars.
Those who are most concerned with philosophy and the heavens are dearest to her. Those who have been instructed by her she raises aloft to heaven, for it is a fact that imagination and the power of thought lift men's souls to heavenly heights.
Urania, o'er her star-bespangled lyre, With touch of majesty diffused her soul; A thousand tones, that in the breast inspire, Exalted feelings, o er the wires'gan roll— How at the call of Jove the mist unfurled, And o'er the swelling vault—the glowing sky, The new-born stars hung out their lamps on high, And rolled their mighty orbs to music's sweetest sound.
—From An Ode To Music by James G. Percival
During the Renaissance, Urania began to be considered the muse for Christian poets. In the invocation to Book 7 of John Milton's epic poem “Paradise Lost,” the poet invokes Urania to aid his narration of the creation of the cosmos, though he cautions that it is "[t]he meaning, not the name I call."
The planet Uranus — though mostly named after the Greek god personifying the sky — is also partially named after Urania.
The official seal of the U.S. Naval Observatory portrays Urania.
Urania is featured on the seal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, as well of its motto: "Quo Ducit Urania."
At Columbia University, toward the end of 18th century, the Urania Society was created for the improvement of oratory and literary skills. DeWitt Clinton was a member.
Urania is invoked in Percy Bysshe Shelley's 1821 poem, “Adonais.”
No muse was identified with the visual arts of painting and sculpture. In ancient Greece sculptors and painters were held in low regard — somewhere between freemen and slaves; their work regarded as mere manual labor.
The word art derives from the Latin "ars," which, although literally defined means "skill method" or "technique," also conveys a connotation of beauty.
During the Middle Ages the word artist already existed in some countries such as Italy, but the meaning was something resembling craftsman, while the word artesan was still unknown. An artist was someone able to do a work better than others, so the skilled excellency was underlined, rather than the activity field. In this period some "artisanal" products such as textiles were much more precious and expensive than paintings or sculptures.
The first division into major and minor arts dates back at least to the works of Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472): "De re aedificatoria, De statua, De pictura," which focused on the importance of the intellectual skills of the artist rather than the manual skills, even if in other forms of art there was a project behind.
With the academies in Europe in the second half of the 16th century, the gap between fine and applied arts was definitely set.
Many contemporary definitions of "artist" and "art" are highly contingent on culture, resisting aesthetic prescription, in much the same way that the features constituting beauty and the beautiful cannot be standardized easily without moving into kitsch.
Training and employment
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies many visual artists as either craft artists or fine artists. A craft artist makes handmade functional works of art, such as pottery or clothing. A fine artist makes paintings, illustrations — such as book illustrations or medical illustrations, sculptures or similar artistic works primarily for their aesthetic value.
The main source of skill for both craft artists and fine artists is long-term repetition and practice. Many fine artists have studied their art form at university and some have master's degrees in fine arts. Artists may also study on their own or receive on-the-job training from an experienced artist.
The number of available jobs as an artist is increasing more slowly than other fields. About half of U.S. artists are self-employed. Others work in a variety of industries. For example, a pottery manufacturer will employ craft artists, and book publishers will hire illustrators.
In the U.S., fine artists have a median income of approximately $50,000 per year, and craft artists have a median income of approximately $33,000 per year. This compares to $61,000 per year for all art-related fields, including related jobs such as graphic designers, multimedia artists, animators and fashion designers. Many artists work part-time as artists and hold a second job.
According to Jessica Stewart’s June 7, 2021 article “15 of the Greatest Painters of All Time Whose Influences Live On Today” at mymodernmet.com, to be considered one of the greatest painters of all time, one needs to possess a special combination of technical skills, outlandish creative thinking and determination. Blended together, all of these attributes produce outstanding works of genius that continue to thrill, some hundreds of years after their initial creation.
Not only are they technically skilled, but these artists have all made important contributions that have changed Western culture. Many of these artists were considered avant-garde because they pushed boundaries and made startling innovations. Most were already considered geniuses during their lifetimes and enjoyed unparalleled success, while others weren't acknowledged until after their death.
Leonardo da Vinci
Not only did Leonardo da Vinci experiment with mediums, but he also innovated different ways of creating striking compositions. In fact, his signature triangular composition is still used today and is widely considered one of the most visually pleasing painting layouts. He was also an early advocate of studying anatomical models to perfect his art, something that was illegal at the time.
Although legendary for paintings like “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper,” da Vinci's artistic output was relatively small; only 17 surviving works can be attributed to him.
Best Places to View da Vinci
Louvre — buy tickets Santa Maria delle Grazie — buy tickets National Gallery, London — book guided visit
Michelangelo
While Michelangelo may have viewed himself as a sculptor, his placement on this list shows his true genius. Though relatively few Michelangelo paintings survive, those that do are considered some of the best in the world. His ability to quickly master fresco painting and take it to new heights is evident in both the Sistine Chapel ceiling and “The Last Judgement” which continue to inspire artists today.
Best Places to View Michelangelo
Vatican Museums — buy tickets Uffizi Galleries —buy tickets
This powerhouse of Baroque painting is also one of the first female artists to see great success. She was also young and producing professional art by the age of 15. Through the course of the 17th century, Artemisia Gentileschi created dynamic and explosive paintings that feature her trademark chiaroscuro and rich colors. While her art was sometimes overshadowed by her Baroque peer Caravaggio, over time her incredible skill and role in pioneering female artists have come to be appreciated.
Best Places to View Artemisia Gentileschi
Uffizi Galleries — buy tickets Pitti Palace —buy tickets Capodimonte Museum — buy tickets
Rembrandt
Rembrandt van Rijn is so famous that even today we call this Dutch master by his first name. Painting everything from genre scenes to landscapes to great historical and mythological paintings, Rembrandt was the dominant force in Dutch art for much of the 17th century. His masterful use of light, as well as his refined and expressive approach to painting have made him a favorite among art lovers to this day. If you want to see his work in person, look for his portraits or illustrations from the Bible, as they are among his most well-regarded.
Best Places to View Rembrandt
Rijksmuseum — buy tickets Metropolitan Museum of Art — buy tickets National Gallery, London — book guided visit
JMW Turner
British Romantic painter JMW Turner is known as a forerunner of modern art. Coming from traditional Neo-classical painting, Turner began striving for realism in his work — which was unheard of at the time. Through thousands of watercolors and oil paintings, he experimented with light, color and brushwork. He even worked on his oil paintings outside, something that would later influence the Impressionists.
Best Places to View Turner
Vincent van Gogh
Though he is seen today as one of the most influential painters in Western art, Vincent van Gogh was not commercially successful during his lifetime. Since the early 20th century, however, his masterful paintings have been prized for their expressive emotion. Filled with dramatic brushstrokes and bold color, the post-impressionist painter's artwork is a roadmap to modern art.
Van Gogh's work — particularly “Starry Night” — remains so iconic that it is celebrated today as immersive art installations and recreated using drone technology.
Best Places to View Van Gogh
Van Gogh Museum — buy tickets Museum of Modern Art — buy tickets Musée d'Orsay — buy tickets
Paul Cézanne
Leading post-impressionist painter Paul Cézanne has enjoyed a lasting legacy thanks to his innovative approach to perspective, vivid color palette,and use of painterly brushstrokes that were meticulously arranged into geometric forms. In fact, his preference for breaking down forms and using bold tones has often led him to be called a precursor to Cubism.
Best Places to View Cézanne
Musée d'Orsay — buy tickets
Museum of Modern Art — buy tickets Hermitage Museum — buy tickets
Claude Monet
From bringing his easel out of the studio and into the environment to his landmark studies of time and light, Claude Monet is perhaps the most beloved of all Impressionist painters. In fact, his painting “Impression, Sunrise” is credited with launching the entire art movement, and his series of water lilies is a part of his lasting legacy with over 250 iterations of the subject.
Best Places to View Monet
Musée d'Orsay — buy tickets Museum of Fine Arts, Boston — buy tickets Musée de l'Orangerie — buy tickets
Mary Cassatt
As part of the Impressionist group, Mary Cassatt had a significant role in shaping the movement's legacy. The American artist broke boundaries with her loose brushstrokes and luminous colors and is well-known for her focus on mothers and children as her subjects. Her intimate depictions showing even the most ordinary moments in motherhood were revolutionary at the time and helped forge her legacy, paving the way for future female artists.
Best Places to View Mary Cassatt
Art Institute of Chicago — buy tickets National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. — visit Brooklyn Museum — buy tickets
Tamara de Lempicka
Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka was a superstar of the early 20th century. Rubbing elbows with the avant-garde in Paris, she turned away from Impressionism — the popular style of the time — and focused on blazing her own trail. The graphic quality of her works and their rich, vivid colors made her a leader of Art Deco painting and earned her the nickname “The Baroness with a Brush.” Today, her work continues to be used as inspiration for designers and is emblematic of this Golden Age.
Best Places to View Tamara de Lempicka
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes — buy tickets Metropolitan Museum of Art — buy tickets National Museum of Women in the Arts — buy tickets
Pablo Picasso
In an 80-year career that moves through multiple styles and over 20,000 works, Pablo Picasso is undoubtedly one of the most recognized names in Western art. His role in launching Cubism would be enough to cement his status in the history books, but Picasso did much more. He is recognized for showing how Classical art can be mastered — and then manipulated — to become something new, fresh and modern.
Best Places to View Picasso
Museu Picasso — buy tickets Reina Sofia Museum — buy tickets Museum of Modern Art — buy tickets
Frida Kahlo
Her highly intimate series of self-portraits and the embracement of her cultural heritage are just some of the things that make Frida Kahlo one of the greatest painters of the 20th century. Today, she has become a pop culture icon, but this shouldn't overshadow her great skill as a painter and her innovations in bringing Mexican culture to a wider audience. Her deeply personal self-portraits also point to a new direction for modern artists, where art was about expressing inner emotion rather than attempting to please a collector or patron.
Best Places to View Frida Kahlo
La Casa Azul — visit Museum of Modern Art — buy tickets Museo de Arte Moderno — visit
Georgia O’Keefe
Pioneering artist Georgia O'Keeffe managed to turn a standard type of painting on its head with her creative vision. While flower painting is a long-held tradition, no one had ever done it quite like O'Keeffe. Not only was she one of the first American artists to create abstract drawings, but her zoomed-in depictions of flowers have remained unique throughout history. Drawn to the American Southwest, O'Keeffe's explosive artwork helped bring attention to a new part of the country at a time when modern art was focused in New York City. “As soon as I saw it, that was my country,” she said of New Mexico, where she eventually made her home. “I’d never seen anything like it before, but it fitted to me exactly.”
Best Places to View Georgia O'Keeffe
Art Institute of Chicago — buy tickets National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. — visit Georgia O'Keeffe Museum — buy tickets
Jackson Pollock
American painter Jackson Pollock is best known for his innovative painting technique. By dripping paint on the canvas, the abstract expressionist created dynamic, abstract artwork that revolutionized the art scene. Pollock used the force of his whole body to splash and pour paint on his canvases, upending traditional notions of how painters were meant to operate. His studio often came with him in his work with some paintings containing nails or cigarette butts within the pigment.
Best Places to View Jackson Pollock
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum — buy tickets Peggy Guggenheim Collection — buy tickets Tate Modern — visit
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