A category especially for lovers of artistic puzzles. Puzzles featuring extraordinary works of art, including sculptures and famous paintings from
different eras. Among these online puzzles, you will also find those with
modern art. Web puzzles are great fun. Pick a picture and start stacking!
Art is a diverse range of
human activities in creating visual, auditory or performing artifacts (artworks), expressing the author's imaginative, conceptual ideas, or technical skill, intended to be appreciated for their
beauty or emotional power. Other activities related to the production of works of art include the criticism of art, the study of the
history of art, and the aesthetic dissemination of art.
The three classical branches of art are painting, sculpture and
architecture. Music, theatre, film,
dance, and other performing arts, as well as literature and other
media such as interactive
media, are included in a broader definition of the arts. Until the 17th century, art referred to any skill or mastery and was not differentiated from crafts or sciences. In modern usage after the 17th century, where aesthetic considerations are paramount, the fine arts are separated and distinguished from acquired skills in general, such as the decorative or applied arts.
Though the definition of what constitutes art is disputed and has changed over time, general descriptions mention an idea of imaginative or technical skill stemming from
human agency and creation. The nature of art and related concepts, such as
creativity and interpretation, are explored in a
branch of philosophy known as aesthetics.
In the perspective of the
history of art, artistic works have existed for almost as long as humankind: from early pre-historic art to
contemporary art; however, some theorists feel that the typical concept of "artistic works" fits less well outside modern Western societies. One early sense of the definition of art is closely related to the older Latin meaning, which roughly translates to "skill" or "
craft," as associated with words such as "
artisan." English words derived from this meaning include
artifact, artificial, artifice,
medical arts, and
military arts.
