Claim: History of art includes aesthetics.

The history of art is the history of any activity or product made by humans in a visual form for aesthetical or communicative purposes , expressing ideas , emotions or , in general , a worldview . Over time visual art has been classified in diverse ways , from the medieval distinction between liberal arts and mechanical arts , to the modern distinction between fine arts and applied arts , or to the many contemporary definitions , which define art as a manifestation of human creativity . The subsequent expansion of the list of principal arts in the 20th century reached to nine : architecture , dance , sculpture , music , painting , poetry -LRB- described broadly as a form of literature with aesthetic purpose or function , which also includes the distinct genres of theatre and narrative -RRB- , film , photography and graphic arts . In addition to the old forms of artistic expression such as fashion and gastronomy , new modes of expression are being considered as arts such as video , computer art , performance , advertising , animation , television and videogames .   The history of art is a multidisciplinary branch of the arts and sciences , seeking an objective examination of art throughout time , classifying cultures , establishing periodizations , and observing the distinctive and influential characteristics of art . The study of the history of art was initially developed during the Renaissance , with its limited scope being the artistic production of Western civilization . However , as time has passed , it has imposed a broader view of artistic history , seeking a comprehensive overview of all the civilizations and analysis of their artistic production in terms of their own cultural values -LRB- cultural relativism -RRB- , and not just western art history .   Today , art enjoys a wide network of study , dissemination and preservation of all the artistic legacy of mankind throughout history . The 20th century has seen the proliferation of institutions , foundations , art museums and galleries , in both the public and private sectors , dedicated to the analysis and cataloging of works of art as well as exhibitions aimed at a mainstream audience . The rise of media has been crucial in improving the study and dissemination of art . International events and exhibitions like the Whitney Biennial and biennales of Venice and São Paulo or the Documenta of Kassel have helped the development of new styles and trends . Prizes such as the Turner of the Tate Gallery , the Wolf Prize in Arts , the Pritzker Prize of architecture , the Pulitzer of photography and the Oscar of cinema also promote the best creative work on an international level . Institutions like UNESCO , with the establishment of the World Heritage Site lists , also help the conservation of the major monuments of the planet .