A Personal Definition of Art, Essay Example

Art is the human attempt to represent nature and reality through the use of the imagination, such as with a painting, a piece of sculpture, a photograph, or a theatrical presentation. Art is also an attempt to express what is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing to the human eye, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Mona Lisa or Michelangelo’s mural on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Art is also an extension of the human need to express oneself, usually through subjective representation. Lastly, art serves as the foundation of a civilization, especially in relation to the ancient Greeks whose lives revolved around the theater in an attempt to represent human nature and human tragedy.