An artist is a tireless creator of masterpieces of art

An artist is a person who creates works of art that have aesthetic value to others. They are creative individuals who express their ideas, emotions, and visions in original works. In the Russian language, the term "artist" historically referred not only to artists but also to skilled craftsmen and highly qualified specialists in any field.

Artist. Jan Vermeer. The Art of Painting, 1666

An artist, in a broad sense, is a collective term for someone engaged in any form of art, although for most people, it is primarily associated with the term "painter".

Classification of artists

An artist is both a profession and a calling. To succeed in their chosen art form, a person needs not only to learn the craft from experienced mentors but also to have a special perception of reality. A true artist draws inspiration from the real world and creates brilliant masterpieces seemingly out of nothing.

Due to the vast diversity of contemporary art forms, the term "painter" can be applied to people in dozens, if not hundreds, of creative professions. Nevertheless, among artistic professions, the following stand out:

• Painters.
• Sculptors.
• Graphic artists.
• Architects.
• Designers.
• Photographers.
• Jewelers.
• Potters.
• Glassblowers.
• Wood, bone, metal, and other material carvers.

Artist. Exhibition of works by Philip Colbert

The works of these specialists (except for architects) are the most sought after by collectors and are sold at art auctions. These masters deserve a more detailed description.

Painter

A painter is a person who creates artistic images on a flat surface (canvas, paper, cardboard, or board). Among representatives of this profession, there are divisions based on the following criteria:

• By genres (domestic, still life, historical, religious, landscape).
• By styles (baroque, rococo, romanticism, impressionism, surrealism).
• By execution techniques (watercolor, oil, gouache).

Artist. Raffaello Santi. Self-portrait, 1506

A painter is the oldest specialization among artists. Our distant ancestors made the first cave paintings in the Stone Age. The rapid development of painting occurred in Europe during the Renaissance and continues to this day. The names of the greatest painters are known worldwide. Here are just a few of them:

• Raffaello Santi (1483-1520, Italy).
• Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669, Netherlands).
• Diego Velázquez (1599-1660, Spain).
• Salvador Dalí (1904-1989, Spain).
• Edward Munch (1863-1944, Norway).

Artist. Rembrandt. The Blinding of Samson, 1636

Sculptor

A sculptor is an artist who creates three-dimensional artistic images from solid materials. In the visual arts, there are three main techniques for creating sculptures:

• Subtraction method. The sculptor carves (removes) excess material from the original stone block (granite or marble).
• Addition method. The sculptor builds up plastic material (plaster, clay, wax) on a framework.
• Casting. The artwork is created by pouring molten material (bronze alloy) into a mold.

Artist. Portrait of Michelangelo Buanarroti

In sculpture, as in painting, there is a classification based on genres and styles, and there is also a clear division of works by purpose:

• Monumental (monuments and memorials).
• Monumental-decorative (friezes, atlantes, caryatids, pediments).
• Statuary (sculptures intended for placement inside buildings: in museum halls, palaces, temples).

Artist. Auguste Rodin. The Thinker, 1882

The names of famous sculptors are also well known to art enthusiasts:

• Michelangelo Buonarroti.
• Donatello.
• Auguste Rodin.
• Camille Claudel.
• Ernst Neizvestny.

Graphic Artist

A graphic artist, unlike a painter, creates works primarily through skillful combinations of strokes and lines. Graphic works can be monochrome or multicolored. In art, there is also a division of graphic works based on:

• Purpose (studio, applied, industrial, poster).
• Execution technique (engraving, lithography, monotype).
• Genre.
• Style.

Artist. Self-portrait by Albrecht Dürer

Many outstanding graphic artists were equally well-known painters. Among them:

• Albrecht Dürer.
• Leonardo da Vinci.
• Francisco Goya.
• Edgar Degas.
• Taras Shevchenko.

Artist. Gustave Doré. Bluebeard, 1860-е годы

In the 20th century, thanks to the development of computer technology, graphic art received a powerful impulse for further advancement. New varieties of this art form emerged:

• Vector art.
• Raster art.
• 3D graphics.
• Web graphics.

Modern graphic artists create animated films, develop computer games, and produce illustrations for books.

Architect

An architect is a specialist in the design of buildings and structures for various purposes. Prominent representatives of this profession have been known since ancient times. As far back as the 27th century BCE, Imhotep supervised the construction of the Djoser Pyramid, and two millennia later, Phidias created the Statue of Zeus in Olympia.

Artist. Antonio Gaudí. Casa Milà

The finest architectural masterpieces often become symbols of an era, a city, or a state. Unlike most other artists, architects have to combine not only creativity but also exceptional organizational skills in their work. To implement a large-scale architectural project, it is necessary not only to carefully develop the design but also to oversee a vast number of people involved in construction.

Artist. Lorenzo Bernini. St Peter's Square in the Vatican

In European culture, architecture, like painting or sculpture, is divided into styles, from Romanesque and Gothic to postmodernism and high-tech.

Great architects' names are well-known to people:

• Bartolomeo Rastrelli.
• Lorenzo Bernini.
• Antonio Gaudí.
• Le Corbusier.
• Walter Gropius.
• Zaha Mohammad Hadid.

Designer

A designer is the youngest and most diverse type of artist. The name of this profession comes from the English word "design," meaning a project or plan. A designer is a person who creates various objects or items based on a combination of principles of comfort, aesthetic beauty, and cost-effectiveness.

Artist. Coco Chanel, 1920 год

Designers usually specialize in a specific field of activity:

• Specific industries (engineering, clothing manufacturing, footwear, furniture objects).
• Fashion industry.
• Scenography.
• Computer technologies.
• Landscape design.
• Floristry and landscaping.
• Optimal use of interior space.

Artist. Yves Saint-Laurent. Designer collection of women's trouser suits

In the world, the most famous genius designer-fashion designers include:

• Coco Chanel.
• Christian Dior.
• Calvin Klein.
• Yves Saint-Laurent.
• Giorgio Armani.

Photographer

A photographer is an artist who creates images (still representations of objects) using special equipment (a camera). Representatives of this profession usually specialize in a specific area (genre) of photography:

• Documentary photography.
• Photojournalism.
• Portrait photography.
• Landscape photography.
• Still life photography.
• Nude photography.
• Reproduction photography.
• Wildlife photography.
• Wedding photography.

Artist. Alfred Stieglitz

Famous contemporary photographers enjoy tremendous success with the public. Hundreds of specialized exhibitions are held annually worldwide, where millions of visitors admire the photographic works of masters.

Some of the most notable photographers are:

• Marc Riboud.
• James Nachtwey.
• Nadar (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon).
• Spencer Tunick.
• Ron Haviv.
• Alfred Stieglitz.
• Ansel Easton Adams.
• Guy Bourdin.
• Cindy Sherman.

Artist. Ansel Easton Adams. Evening, Lake Macdonald in Glacier National Park

Jeweler

A jeweler is an artist who creates works of art from noble metals and precious stones. This profession is very ancient, and even today, people are amazed by the craftsmanship of unknown artisans from Egypt, the Scythian kingdom, and the ancient era.

Artist. Benvenuto Cellini. Saltcellar

The work of skilled jewelers has always been highly valued in the world. This profession requires not only a good artistic taste but also great patience, precision, and concentration. Jewelers have to perform various tasks while creating jewelry:

• Soldering.
• Polishing.
• Engraving.
• Turning.
• Chasing.

Jewelers also need good knowledge of chemistry, physics, and mineralogy to produce quality raw materials for jewelry.

Artist. Gatchina Palace (Fabergé egg)

Even people far from art are familiar with the names of the world's best jewelers:

• Benvenuto Cellini.
• Carl Fabergé.
• René Lalique.
• Daniel Swarovski.
• Charles Tiffany.

Potter

A potter is a master of making clay, ceramic, porcelain, and other types of pottery. The work of representatives of this ancient profession has changed little over the past few millennia. Potters still knead clay and fire the finished products. Only clay ovens have been replaced by gas ones, and the potter's wheel is set in motion not by the master's foot but by an electric motor.

Artist. Porcelain by KPM Berlin

Pottery art includes not only the process of making various kitchenware items but also the skill of artistic painting. Thanks to unique painted decorations, services and vases acquire genuine value for art collectors.

Artist. Sèvres porcelain

World-renowned works of applied art come from the best porcelain manufacturers:

• KPM Berlin.
• Meissen.
• Wedgwood.
• Yusupov factory.
• Sèvres.

And at art auctions, ancient Chinese vases from the Tang, Ming, and Qing dynasties fetch enormous amounts of money.

Glassblower

A glassblower is a master of creating works of art from raw materials based on silica using various additives (pigments). Artists in this field have to work under extreme conditions with material heated to temperatures above 1000 degrees.

Artist. Murano glass

Italian glassblowers have gained special fame worldwide. On the island of Murano near Venice, ancient masters developed a unique production technology in the 13th century and carefully kept it a secret for many years. Venetian glass is still synonymous with high quality and impeccable taste.

Glassblower-artists can create stunningly beautiful objects from a piece of molten raw material:

• vases;
• jewelry;
• tableware;
• toys.

Artist. Glass vase

Artistic glassblowing involves heavy physical work, constantly associated with health risks. However, the masterpieces of ingenious artists are capable of adorning the most luxurious interiors.

Carver

A carver is an artist who carves works of decorative and applied art from solid materials using special tools. This profession also has deep historical roots.

Artist. Wood carving. Caskets

In many parts of the world, distinctive schools of artistic carving in various materials have existed for a long time:

• wood;
• ivory;
• walrus tusks.

Carvers can also work with less conventional materials:

• animal horns and tusks;
• corals and amber;
• semiprecious stones;
• porcelain, ceramics, and even tortoiseshell.

Artist. Bone carving. Carriage

The works of carvers can vary significantly in size, from huge monumental bas-reliefs to tiny Japanese hanging charms called netsuke.

Our article does not have room to mention artists of many other specialties: blacksmiths and restorers, animators and illustrators, knitters and embroiderers, stained glass artists, and mosaic artists. This list can go on endlessly. However, they are all united by the desire to create vivid works of art for people.

On the Very Important Lot website, you can not only read interesting articles about art but also participate in auctions from anywhere in the world to acquire antiques masterpieces. Or buy paintings of various styles and genres directly from contemporary artists at affordable prices.