Decorative arts
Related: art - culture - interior design - ornament - applied art - low arts
Movements: modern style - Art Deco - Art Nouveau - Bauhaus
Jeanne Lanvin's Bathroom (1920-22) - Armand Rateau
Image sourced from http://drwagnernet.com/40b/lecture-view.cfm?lecture=8 [Feb 2005]
Definition
The decorative arts are traditionally defined as ornamental and functional works in ceramic, wood, glass, metal, or textile. The class includes furniture, furnishings, interior design, and architecture. The decorative arts are often categorized in opposition to the fine or high arts (or just art), namely, painting, drawing, photography, and large-scale sculpture. Some distinguish between decorative and fine art based on functionality, intended purpose, importance, status as a unique creation, or single artist production. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decorative_art [Feb 2005]
Decorative Arts serve to adorn or embellish; ornamental. An imprecise collective term for such art forms as ceramics, enamels, furniture, glass, metalwork, and textiles, especially when they take forms used as interior decoration.
Sometimes designated the "minor or lesser " arts to distinguish them from the "major arts" of architecture, sculpture, painting, and the graphic arts. --http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/d/decorativearts.html
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