Before studying the arts, it is necessary to define the terms fine arts and applied art. Fine arts became popular in the Renaissance era due to the aesthetic qualities of the art. This art form allowed for individual expression and a new way of interpreting ideas. Fine arts can be many different things, such as: music, painting, theatre, dance, film, sculpture, architecture and more. A modern example of fine art is photography. Back when fine art became popular, cameras had not yet been invented. However, today photographs are considered an example of fine art. Personally, this is my favorite type of art and is one of my many hobbies. I love being able to capture a moment and keep it forever. The other type of art that should be defined is applied art. The main difference between these two art forms is that fine arts have aesthetic characteristics, while applied arts do not. Applied arts are generally decorative, unlike fine arts which are used to express emotions. These decorative arts can be made from materials such as: glass, wood, stone, metal and fabrics. Applied arts can include architecture, ceramics, basket weaving, costume design, interior design, jewelry, tools, weapons, and bookbinding. An example of applied arts that I wear every day is my ring. My ring is made of metal and stones and twists into the shape of an infinity symbol. This is my favorite piece of jewelry that I own, which is why I wear it every day. Now that the terms fine arts and applied arts have been defined, we can move on to the purposes and functions of art. There are four purposes of art: to provide documentation, to give visible or other form to feelings, to reveal metaphysical or spiritual truths, and to help people see the world... at the center of the paper... we will examine the differences between criticism formal and contextual criticism. Formal criticism occurs when we analyze the work of art as it is without any external or background knowledge. This means you only use your five senses to critique a work of art. This form of criticism can be applied to any art form and can have many different criticisms on the same work of art. On the other hand, contextual criticism examines external information to help find a deeper meaning behind the artwork. This basic information may include information about the artist, culture, time period, social and political conditions, and other criticism, to name a few. All these facts can be researched and then applied to art criticism. This preliminary information can be used to help clarify certain aspects and create a deeper understanding of the artwork.