artist

…skilled artisans than as creative artists. Later the notion of the “fine artist” developed in Asia and Renaissance Europe. Prominent painters were afforded the social status of scholars and courtiers; they signed their work, decided its design and often its subject and imagery, and established a more personal—if not always…

…the manner of the folk artist, as defined above. The distinction between folk and popular art is not absolute, however: some widely collected folk art, such as the chalkwares (painted plaster ornamental figures) common in America and the popular prints turned out for wide distribution, may be seen as the…

…court theatres, for instance—employed resident artists to build and paint the scenery. Producing organizations with less-extensive production programs, such as traveling troupes, either employed itinerant artists and craftsmen or ordered stock scenery from manufacturers that existed in almost all major and many medium-sized cities in both Europe and North America…