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!

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Painting, Myrphée, Bernard Vié

Bernard Vié

Painting . 120 x 120 x 3 cm Painting . 47.2 x 47.2 x 1.2 inch

€3,000

Fine Art Drawings, Provencale No.13, Pascal Plazanet

Pascal Plazanet

Fine Art Drawings . 29.5 x 42 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.6 x 16.5 x 0 inch

€1,400

Painting, Tour Eiffel logos, PyB

PyB

Painting . 24 x 18 x 2 cm Painting . 9.4 x 7.1 x 0.8 inch

€120

Painting, Skull logos, PyB

PyB

Painting . 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€190

Painting, Intro, Mirtha Otaño

Mirtha Otaño

Painting . 69 x 98 x 4 cm Painting . 27.2 x 38.6 x 1.6 inch

€5,850

Painting, Gateway 2, Brian Elwell

Brian Elwell

Painting . 40 x 40 x 1 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

€783

Painting, Phantom Pain, Dyala Khodary

Dyala Khodary

Painting . 195 x 130 cm Painting . 76.8 x 51.2 inch

€11,500

Painting, Turns Green, Valery Savenets

Valery Savenets

Painting . 30 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€355

Painting, Prenzlauer, Nigel Bailey

Nigel Bailey

Painting . 40.3 x 51 x 0.5 cm Painting . 15.9 x 20.1 x 0.2 inch

€760

Painting, August, Nigel Bailey

Nigel Bailey

Painting . 45.8 x 45.8 x 0.5 cm Painting . 18 x 18 x 0.2 inch

€760

Painting, Eiffel Tower, Troy Henriksen

Troy Henriksen

Painting . 130 x 89 x 2 cm Painting . 51.2 x 35 x 0.8 inch

€4,500

Painting, The abbey, Marco Araldi

Marco Araldi

Painting . 81 x 61 x 4 cm Painting . 31.9 x 24 x 1.6 inch

€3,130

Painting, Motion 3.2, Eduard Churkin

Eduard Churkin

Painting . 90 x 139 x 4 cm Painting . 35.4 x 54.7 x 1.6 inch

€10,800

Painting, Looking for Fun, Le Hai Linh

Le Hai Linh

Painting . 80 x 93 x 1 cm Painting . 31.5 x 36.6 x 0.4 inch

€1,450

Painting, Fragments 2, Andrea Vandoni

Andrea Vandoni

Painting . 70 x 60 x 4 cm Painting . 27.6 x 23.6 x 1.6 inch

€1,000

Painting, Metropolis, Florence Boré

Florence Boré

Painting . 105 x 75 x 0.5 cm Painting . 41.3 x 29.5 x 0.2 inch

€4,500

Painting, Memories, Marta Zawadzka

Marta Zawadzka

Painting . 100 x 120 x 2 cm Painting . 39.4 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch

€4,900

Painting, NYC, Marta Zawadzka

NYC

Marta Zawadzka

Painting . 100 x 90 x 2 cm Painting . 39.4 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch

€4,400

Painting, Eco City, Rudyard Heaton

Rudyard Heaton

Painting . 114 x 146 x 2.5 cm Painting . 44.9 x 57.5 x 1 inch

€2,200

Painting, Ladder, Marta Zawadzka

Marta Zawadzka

Painting . 120 x 140 x 2 cm Painting . 47.2 x 55.1 x 0.8 inch

€5,900

Painting, Gateway 10, Brian Elwell

Brian Elwell

Painting . 40 x 40 x 1 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

€783

Painting, Embrasement, Muriel Deumie

Muriel Deumie

Painting . 73 x 100 x 2 cm Painting . 28.7 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

€1,200 €1,020

Painting, Enigma, Osse Müller

Osse Müller

Painting . 110 x 84 x 0.3 cm Painting . 43.3 x 33.1 x 0.1 inch

€11,000

Painting, White Tree, Claire Smith

Claire Smith

Painting . 65 x 80 x 4 cm Painting . 25.6 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch

€1,806

Painting, Fish Camp, Melinda Patrick

Melinda Patrick

Painting . 25.4 x 50.8 x 3.8 cm Painting . 10 x 20 x 1.5 inch

€422

Painting, Gotham 1, Tarek

Tarek

Painting . 98 x 206 x 1 cm Painting . 38.6 x 81.1 x 0.4 inch

€8,200

Painting, Fourvière, Paul Ward

Paul Ward

Painting . 27.9 x 20.3 x 1.3 cm Painting . 11 x 8 x 0.5 inch

€700

Painting, Hoa Phong Tower, Loi Duc

Loi Duc

Painting . 100 x 100 x 1 cm Painting . 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch

€6,780

Painting, Blossom, Jia Yuan Hua

Jia Yuan Hua

Painting . 80 x 60 x 4 cm Painting . 31.5 x 23.6 x 1.6 inch

€6,900

Painting, Paysage village 3, Xi Lan

Xi Lan

Painting . 30 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€500

Painting, Nice, Sona Adalyan

Sona Adalyan

Painting . 50 x 70 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

€699

Painting, Lost World No.2, Jia Yuan Hua

Jia Yuan Hua

Painting . 80 x 100 x 4 cm Painting . 31.5 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch

€5,900

Painting, 5th Avenue Uptown, Garner

Garner

Painting . 180 x 60 x 3 cm Painting . 70.9 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

€5,000

Painting, Selo-TZ, Ivan Tzonev

Ivan Tzonev

Painting . 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€300

Painting, Selo-O.T, Ivan Tzonev

Ivan Tzonev

Painting . 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€250

Painting, Monastery, Vyacheslav B.

Vyacheslav B.

Painting . 14 x 20 x 2 cm Painting . 5.5 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch

€205

Painting, Church, Vyacheslav B.

Vyacheslav B.

Painting . 22 x 12 x 2 cm Painting . 8.7 x 4.7 x 0.8 inch

€205

Painting, Sursis, Thomas Jeunet

Thomas Jeunet

Painting . 150 x 100 x 3.5 cm Painting . 59.1 x 39.4 x 1.4 inch

€690

Painting, Opera Garnier, Rudyard Heaton

Rudyard Heaton

Painting . 81 x 116 x 2.5 cm Painting . 31.9 x 45.7 x 1 inch

€1,800

Painting, Faded, Dyala Khodary

Dyala Khodary

Painting . 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€900

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