Arts and Culture Vocabulary in English: Words, Examples and Quiz

paintings, drawings and sculptures, or the activity of making them

I'm not an expert, but I love modern art.

a person who makes art, especially paintings or drawings

The artist spent ten years on this painting.

a picture made with paint

There's a famous painting of the city in the museum.

a picture made with a pencil or pen

Her drawings of animals are very detailed.

a piece of art made from stone, wood, metal or clay

A huge metal sculpture stands in front of the station.

a painting, drawing or photo of a person

The portrait of the queen hangs in the hall.

a painting of a view of the countryside

He mostly paints landscapes of the coast.

a public show of art or other objects (American English also: exhibit)

The exhibition runs until the end of March.

a building or room where people can look at art

We spent the afternoon at the national gallery.

a work of art that is extremely good, often an artist's best

Many people think it's his masterpiece.

not showing people or things as they really look, but using shapes and colors

I don't really understand abstract art.

a group of objects, like paintings, kept together

The museum has a large collection of Ottoman art.

an event where people act, sing, dance or play music for others

Tonight's performance starts at eight.

the people who watch or listen to a show

The audience laughed all the way through.

the raised area in a theater where actors perform

She walked onto the stage and everyone went quiet.

a story written to be performed by actors in a theater

We saw a play by Shakespeare last night.

a person who writes plays

The playwright was in the audience on opening night.

a practice of a play or concert before the real performance

We have rehearsals every evening this week.

a play in which most of the words are sung, with an orchestra

Have you ever been to the opera?

a type of dance that tells a story with graceful movements

My daughter has ballet lessons on Saturdays.

a large group of musicians playing different instruments together

The orchestra played music by Beethoven.

the sound of people clapping to show they enjoyed something

The dancers left the stage to loud applause.

a person whose job is to give opinions about books, films, plays or art

Critics loved the new production.

an article that gives an opinion about a book, film, play or exhibition

The play got great reviews.

books, plays and poems, especially ones considered to have artistic value

She studied English literature at university.

a long written story about invented people and events

His first novel became a film.

the person who wrote a book

Who's your favorite author?

poems in general, or the art of writing poems (uncountable)

She reads poetry every night before bed.

one piece of writing with short lines, often with rhythm or rhyme

He wrote a poem for his mother's birthday.

books and stories about imaginary people and events

I prefer fiction to biographies.

the series of events in a story

The plot is complicated, but the ending is great.

a person in a book, play or film

The main character is a young doctor.

a book that sells a very large number of copies

Her latest thriller is already a bestseller.

the beliefs, customs, art and way of life of a group of people

I love learning about Japanese culture.

all forms of creative activity together, such as painting, music, theater and literature

The city spends a lot on the arts.

a belief or custom that has existed for a long time

It's a family tradition to eat together on Sundays.

a usual way of behaving in a society

It's the custom here to bring a small gift.

the history, buildings and traditions that a country has from the past

The old town is part of our cultural heritage.

an event with performances or celebrations, often every year

The film festival takes place every October.

a building where people can see important objects from history, art or science

The museum is free on the first Sunday of the month.

a skill of making things by hand, like pottery or weaving

The market sells local crafts.

traditional and coming from ordinary people in a region

They danced to folk music all night.

including people of many different cultures

London is a very multicultural city.

making you feel strong emotions, especially sadness

The ending of the play was really moving.

making you think seriously about something

It's a thought-provoking book about technology.

making you admire it because it is big, good or skillful

The paintings are impressive, especially the large ones.

new, different and interesting

The design is simple but very original.

having a natural ability to do something well

She's a talented young actor.

thought to be better than it really is

Honestly, I think that film is overrated.

to give someone the idea or the wish to create something

The trip inspired her to start painting again.

to show someone or something in a picture or a story

The painting depicts a busy market.