Art is an all-embracing notion that plays the most important role in the development of the mankind. Art is a diverse range of human activities and the products of those activities. Art is a diverse field and includes artistic imprints in many forms which may include the creation of images or objects in fields including painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and other visual media. Architecture is often included as one of the visual arts; however, like the decorative arts. The first forms of arts were found on walls of ancient caves in the forms of stone works as well as painting. So we can guess that painting was the first way of art. Painting is the most understandable way of art because it gives us the most full and vivid impression. Music, theatre, film, dance, and other performing arts, as well as literature, and other media such as interactive media are included in a broader definition of art. A poem, a painting, a sculpture created by the artist gives joy to him while he is in the act of creation; it gives him joy again after a lapse of time, when he imaginatively recreates or relives the original moment of creation and also gives a great sense of pleasure to the person who observes that art carefully.  

Art is a way to express many things. It's a way to deal with feelings that cannot be expressed through typical means like conversation or words. Art gives a way to express your emotions. Until the 17th century, art referred to any skill or mastery and was not differentiated from crafts or sciences, but in modern usage, the fine arts, where aesthetic considerations are paramount, are distinguished from acquired skills in general, and the decorative or applied arts. Today in the 21^st century the dimensions of arts have changed a lot as compared to the past. These days art is not only just a way of expressing your ideas but also has been used to send some kind of information or message to the masses. Art can be used for politics and social agendas such as editorial cartoons and paintings directed at political or religious figures. Art can inspire and allow people to see things from different perspectives.

Art comforts man through poems, literature, songs, drama, and cinema. Art lovers can spend their whole life working for art. Art serves to fulfil the desire of man to transcend the death and decay to which all earthly things are subject. Art consoles man to help him imagine what is desired but is not immediately available for use. Art takes you to another world where you interpret everything by your emotions. It enables him to live a double life without the torture and morbidity of schizophrenia. The importance of art is related to the nature of our human-built environment, and whether we create it to be a comfort or a torment. To understand the place of art and beauty in contemporary culture, you need to turn to historic forms of art.

History of Art

To understand the true meaning of art we have to begin from the historic period from where the concept of real art started, though in the modern century art has taken a commercial turn still never the less there are those who still respect art in its original form. The most precious achievements and monuments of mankind, whether it is a pyramid or any building from historic view, are man's attempts to eternalize memories of some important historic event or symbolize the loss of near and dear ones who were initially lost forever. We may safely say that art is a by-product of man's self-love and a fond hope to live forever in a world beyond this world. It would not be wrong to say that art is both a means as well as an end. It is a means for the artist to transcend the limitations of time and space and to partake of pleasures not found in the day to Creation of art has been often compared with the process of birth and death.

Sculptures, cave paintings, rock paintings etc. from the Upper Paleolithic dating to roughly 40,000 years ago have been found, but the precise meaning of such art is often disputed because so little is known about the cultures that produced them. Also, it becomes really difficult to interpret all the work that was done during olden times. Many great traditions in art have a foundation in the art of one of the great ancient civilizations: Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, China, Ancient Greece, Rome, as well as Inca, Maya, and Olmec. Each of these centres of early civilization developed a unique and characteristic style in its art. Because of the size and duration of these civilizations, more of their art works have survived and more of their influence has been transmitted to other cultures and later times. Some also have provided the first records of how artists worked.

In the east, Islamic art's rejection of iconography led to an emphasis on geometric patterns, calligraphy, and architecture. Further east, religion dominated artistic styles and forms too. This was an important phase of religious art development. India and Tibet saw an emphasis on painted sculptures and dance, while religious painting borrowed many conventions from sculpture and tended to bright contrasting colours with emphasis on outlines. Various dance forms and considerable development in the field of music was witnessed during this period. Woodblock printing became important in Japan after the 17th century. The western Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century saw artistic depictions of physical and rational certainties of the clockwork universe, as well as politically revolutionary visions of a post-monarchist world.

The late 19th century then saw a host of artistic movements, such as academic art, Symbolism, impressionism, and fauvism among others. This period saw a great rise in artistic movements. The history of twentieth-century art is a narrative of endless possibilities and the search for new standards, each being torn down in succession by the next. Thus the parameters of Impressionism, Expressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Dadaism, Surrealism, etc. cannot be maintained very much beyond the time of their invention. Increasing global interaction during this time saw an equivalent influence of other cultures into Western art, such as Pablo Picasso being influenced by African sculpture. The west has had huge impacts on Eastern art in the 19th and 20th centuries, with originally western ideas like Communism and Post-Modernism exerting a powerful influence on artistic styles.

The Importance of Art in Human Life

It is usual human nature to admire the beauty around us which may include natural as well as man-made resources like hills, rivers, natural beauty and beautiful buildings respectively. We are often awe-struck when we see a beautiful painting, or read a beautiful poem, or listen to soothing music and we get an inner feeling of happiness and calmness when we come across these things. We commonly associate art in terms of a painting or a sculpture we see in a museum or an art gallery, nonetheless, art is everywhere around us in many forms and holds a significant value in our lives. The word ‘Art’ is, however, most commonly associated with pieces of work in a gallery or museum, whether it’s a painting from the Renaissance or a modern sculpture. Art has much more diverse forms than this classification. However, there is so much more to art than what we see displayed in galleries. The truth is, without being aware of it, we are surrounded by art and use it on a continual basis. Most people don’t realize how much of a role art plays in our lives and just how much we rely on art in all of its forms in our everyday lives.

It is difficult to describe the word art in literal terms, but broadly we understand the art to be a form to express one’s feelings through any object or medium like paper, music, colours, technology, magic, photography etc. different artists use different mediums to express their inner feelings. It could be abstract, realistic, naturalistic, conceptual, and inspirational. It is agreeable that we are surrounded by Art and also rely on it in our daily routine. When we enter someone’s home, it is difficult to stop ourselves to appreciate the way the living room is decorated. You would find rhythm and harmony in the way furniture is placed; photographs adorn a wall, paintings hung above the sofa or any particular show-piece placed in a corner or centrepiece on a coffee table etc. however the importance of art in human life is worth consideration. Art may play an important role in our lives in one way or the other which includes:

• Art and Music: Art plays a great role in our lives which can be easily understood by the fact that every one of us has a television and a music system in our house and everyday use both, and which is a great application of the work of art. We daily listen to music by various artists and watch different movies and television shows where different artists perform. Music is the form of art that can make life extremely joyful and can have a huge effect on our mood. Music at times can have a soothing effect that may help you to forget all your tensions and worries. In the workplace, in particular, music is something that can help people set the mood for what they are about to do. If you have something hard or difficult to work on or are feeling tired, an energetic song will likely wake you up and add some enthusiasm to the situation. On the other hand, the movies and daily soaps that we watch are also a work of art.
• Preserving Culture: Another importance of art is that it preserves our culture. Ancient monuments and other artistic claims including scripts, music forms, dance forms and designing patterns are all included in our cultural heritage. When we see these cultural preserving we come to know about our proud past and also would help coming generations to realize their roots. Hence art also serves to carry our cultural messages to generations.
• The Joy of Art: At times we may wonder why all of these things are so important to our daily lives and that we could have easily survived just fine with essential items that were non-artistic. You may think that we could have easily found out an alternative. That is just the reason why art is so valuable! While art may not be vital to fulfilling our basic needs, it does make life joyful. Whenever you go to a hill-station and gaze at the tremendous natural beauty you are not able to forget that experience for many days. When you look at a painting or poster you’ve chosen to hang on your living room wall, you feel happy. The sculpture or figurines on the kitchen windowsill create a sense of joy. These varieties of art forms that we are surrounded by all come together to create the atmosphere that we want to live in, which is personable to us.
• Inspirational Art: Not just entertainment and cultural perseverance, art can also be a great source of inspiration. You can easily find inspirational art, such as posters that are often found in workspaces to encourage employees to continue being productive. There is now an increasing amount of companies using art in their offices, as well as playing background music, as it is proven to actually work in making end results far better quality. Also, you may find inspirational songs that are being made for teams participating in a high voltage match, which is also a form of inspirational art. There may be a piece of art that you own that you personally find motivational. A lot of people find music in the gym to be inspirational for them to work out.

Conclusion
It could be concluded that the importance of Arts in our lives is quite recognized to a greater level. Art is everywhere, influencing us on a daily basis, whether we realize it or not. With the art that we are surrounded by, whether it’s a painting, music or even videos can have a huge impact on our mood and emotions. Our concentration towards art is increasing day by day and people have started appreciating art in a serious manner. Nowadays Art and Craft Education are encouraged in schools for children as it provides a platform for the young ones to express and explore their imagination. Everywhere you go art is evident. Research and Statistics confirm that this education helps resolve a lot of problems and enhances critical thinking skills. Not all children are academically good, hence encouraging them to discover the artist in themselves might help them grow in life and excel in many other fields and may prove out to be an excellent career opportunity for them.