Art can mean many different things to people. Whether you are writing an essay about a specific piece of art or creating your own work of art, there are some things that almost every great paper has in common. Though one thing is for sure, there are countless art essay topics out there for students to explore. Here are top 10 art essay topics.

1. What Is Art?

This is perhaps the most important question when discussing art and its significance in our lives and society at large. Many theorists have tried to answer this very question throughout history with varying degrees of success. Think about how many times per day we come into contact with art in some way, shape, or form nowadays and how much time we spend consuming media such as movies, music, and television shows: These often serve as a creative outlet for people and serve as a time where we can take a break from the daily grind and relax.

2. Art vs. Design

There are many things that we interact with regularly that designers create. Still, not everyone realizes it: A better understanding of design can go a long way towards helping you to recognize it in your everyday life. Though art and design work will often overlap at some point, they do very different things, which is why it’s always interesting to discuss these differences so students can understand them more fully.

3. Creative Expression or Cultural Commentary?

When creating artwork, what is the message behind the piece supposed to be? Is there an intended goal, or was this simply done for the sake of doing it? This is something that artists have been trying to figure out for a very long time, and finding a way to accurately portray the ethos behind a piece can be challenging. Some think about art as a means of expressing their creativity, while others imagine it as having an intended purpose or message that they want to communicate with those viewing it.

4. The Most Influential Artists from History

There are countless artists out there who have made immense contributions towards advancing art as we know it today: Many pieces will always remain popular due to their impact on society and how influential they were at the time. This is one of many art essay topics that could prove useful when thinking about where your work fits in with what came before.

5. Getting Started with Art

Every artist goes through a rather lengthy process when preparing for a new project: This is something that they have to go through to create any lasting impact. There are many different ways that artists can prepare themselves to find inspiration or simply work on their craft so that their finished product turns out the way they intended.

6. The Relationship Between Artists and Critics

Critics play an important role in both creating art and critiquing existing work: Sometimes, this relationship works out in your favor, while at other times, you might find yourself being subject to all kinds of negative criticism about what you’ve done in the past. This often depends on who is creating the artwork, who is critiquing it, and what kind of a message they are trying to communicate.

7. The Most Influential Works from History

Are there some pieces that have managed to stand the test of time while others have been forgotten? This is often difficult for artists to figure out as their work can be subject to all kinds of outside influences: Getting your work recognized by the right people is one way to ensure that it will stand out more prominently later on down the line when history takes over.

8. What Makes an Original Work Worth Collecting?

Some artwork or other creative projects might not sell particularly well in today’s market, but at least they got off the ground: Many works may be considered “original in some sense, but their value to collectors is often downplayed due to the fact that it’s not really worth anything. This means that no one wants to go out of their way in order to collect or preserve this type of work because it’s simply not important enough.

9. Are Art Review Websites Heading in the Right Direction?

There are many different websites and other forms of technology that allow you to review art online, but some people think that this takes away from how well-respected critics can be: There are certain people who would prefer a more traditional approach when it comes to reviewing artwork either as a viewer or someone else who has been commissioned for such a purpose. Even today, many tech companies haven’t been able to successfully integrate these two concepts together with the many issues that this might bring to the table.

10. How Online Art Sales are Impacting Brick-and-Mortar Stores

There is a new trend on the rise when it comes to shopping for art pieces, but it’s slowly replacing others instead of adding onto what already exists: Many brick-and-mortar stores are closing down due to the fact that they can’t compete with online retailers who can provide lower prices and more convenient for buyers. This is taking its toll on physical galleries that sell artwork themselves as well as those independent retailers or other middlemen who try to get their piece of the pie by selling work both in-store and online at different times.