Artworks

All artworks

Artists

All artists

Galeries

All galleries

Categories

Subcategories

Architecture

Art and architecture share many similarities. They've influenced one another throughout history. However, trying to liken these two disciplines will inevitably lead to certain contractions.

Perhaps the biggest difference is that Art, in its broadest sense, is defined as a creation meant to trigger an emotional response which is generally related to aesthetic pleasure. It doesn't satisfy any of life's basic needs, but it leads to thoughts, reflections, and often taps into our subconscious and our memory. On the other hand, architecture's primary purpose is to shelter individuals and ensure their safety. Architecture is meant to serve a utilitarian purpose.

Today, architecture has gone far beyond this initial function. Architects have strived to combine engineering and aesthetic research to create buildings that are so out of the ordinary we wonder how they were designed. They want their creations to stand out and favour originality and creativity. Just like in arts, architecture is influenced by the historical, social, and political context of the time and each movement has its own characteristics, from baroque to futurism to Bauhaus. Modern architecture marked a turn in the history of architecture. Architects revolutionised the social scope of their discipline and took an industrialist approach to society and nature — avant-garde architects rubbed shoulders with artists such as Georges Braque, Piet Mondrian, and members of the De Stijl group. Le Corbusier is a pioneer in collective housing, and also took part in ambitious projects which aimed to rebuild entire cities, such as Chandigarh in India. Decorative arts also developed by taking inspiration from the conventions that governed modernist architecture.

Contemporary architecture might not be a specific movement per se, but buildings that fall into this category share certain attributes. Contemporary architecture is characterised by curvy lines and various volumes in a single structure, as seen with the Sydney Opera House. The architect Jørn Utzon explained that he didn't seek to create a building for this project, but an actual sculpture. The building continually renews itself with new meanings and experiences for each passerby. Architectural works often require periods of deep reflection and a long though process in order for the architect to envisage how to give their building a sense of character and soul.

Whether architecture is an art or not is a never ending debate, but it is undeniable that there are strong links between the two disciplines. There are many examples of collaborations between contemporary artists and architects, and today the works of the greatest architects are exhibited in museums along with their fellow artists.

Discover our selections of artworks inspired by art and architecture!

Read more

Save your search and find it in your favorites

Saved search

Your search is accessible from the favorites tab > My favorite searches

Unsaved search

A problem occurred

Painting, Animalism 5, Kokimoto

Animalism 5

Kokimoto

Painting - 31 x 21 x 0.1 cm Painting - 12.2 x 8.3 x 0 inch

CHF 698

Painting, Sunny home, Gago Chtchyan

Sunny home

Gago Chtchyan

Painting - 70 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch

CHF 1,172

Painting, Books, Lluís Puiggrós

Books

Lluís Puiggrós

Painting - 50 x 50 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 inch

CHF 537

Painting, Books, Lluís Puiggrós

Books

Lluís Puiggrós

Painting - 50 x 50 x 5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 2 inch

CHF 537

Photography, Desert House, Slim Aarons

Desert House

Slim Aarons

Photography - 76.2 x 101.6 cm Photography - 30 x 40 inch

CHF 3,052

Photography, Tullio Abbate, Slim Aarons

Tullio Abbate

Slim Aarons

Photography - 152.4 x 101.6 cm Photography - 60 x 40 inch

CHF 3,603

Painting, Reitberg, Elena Borstein

Reitberg

Elena Borstein

Painting - 152.4 x 101.6 x 3.8 cm Painting - 60 x 40 x 1.5 inch

CHF 15,841

Print, Clear, Philippe Matine

Clear

Philippe Matine

Print - 70 x 140 x 4.5 cm Print - 27.6 x 55.1 x 1.8 inch

CHF 429

Print, Cap ouest, Philippe Matine

Cap ouest

Philippe Matine

Print - 100 x 140 x 4.5 cm Print - 39.4 x 55.1 x 1.8 inch

CHF 458

Painting, Il Duomo, Bernard Vié

Il Duomo

Bernard Vié

Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

CHF 2,344

Painting, Absolut, Tomàs Sunyol

Absolut

Tomàs Sunyol

Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

CHF 4,609

Print, En bas, Philippe Matine

En bas

Philippe Matine

Print - 70 x 100 x 4.5 cm Print - 27.6 x 39.4 x 1.8 inch

CHF 321

Painting, Porte à Marrakech, J Paul

Porte à Marrakech

J Paul

Painting - 60 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch

CHF 1,030

25/100