The definition of an “artist” in various dictionaries. In Corpus Juris Secondum Vol. 6A as under:
“Artist”-A person of special skill or ability in any field, one who is highly accomplished, especially one versed in the liberal arts. Also one who professes and practices one of the fine arts.
The term “artist” may refer to one skilled in trade or art; and has been held broad enough to include architects and a surveyor.
The term has been held not to include a dancing instructor, a neon sign maker, a barber, cook, dressmaker, milliner, or tailor.
Random House Dictionary of the English language defined the artist as under:
“Artist”-1- One who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria.
2. A person who practices one of the fine arts especially a painter or sculptor. 3. One whose trade or profession requires a knowledge of design, drawing, painting, etc., a commercial artist.
4. A person who works in one of the performing arts, as an actor, musician, or singer, a public performer, a mime artist, an artist of the dance.
5. One who exhibits exceptional skill in his work.
6. One who is expert at trickery or deceit : He is an artist with cards.
7. Or an artisan.
Websters Third New International Dictionary defines the word ‘artist’ as under:
1a. One who professes and practices an art in which conception and execution are governed by imagination and taste. b. A person skilled in one of the fine arts; especially painter. 2a. A performer of music in public (as a singer, pianist, or conductor). b. A theatrical performer.
The Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edn., defines ‘artist’ in the following manner:
Artist : One skilled in the ‘liberal’ or learned arts.
1- One who is master of the liberal arts; a master of arts, learned man, philosopher.
2. One who pursues some practical science, a scientific man, man of science, savant.
3. Specifically : a. A professor of the healing art, a medical practitioner, physician surgeon.
b. A professor of magic arts or occult sciences; an astrologer or alchemist; later a chemist.
One skilled in the useful arts
4. One who follows any pursuit or employment in which skill or proficiency is preamble by study or practice hence a. A skilled performer, a proficient, a connoisseur.
b. A practical man, as opposed to a theorist.
5. A follower of a manual art; an artificer, mechanic, craftsman, artisan.
6. In this sense now influenced by and applied to : One who practices a manual art in which there is much room for display of taste; one who makes his craft a ‘fine art’.
III. One who pursues an art which has as its aim to please.
7. One who cultivates one of the fine arts, in which the object is mainly to gratify the aesthetic emotions by perfection of execution, whether in creation or representation.
8. a. One skilled in music.
b. One skilled in dramatic art; hence extended to any public performer.
c. Now especially : One who practices the arts of design; one who seeks to express the beautiful in visible form. In this sense sometimes taken to include sculptors, engravers and architects; but popularly, and in the most usual current acceptation of the word, restricted to : One who cultivates the art of painting as a profession.
IV. One who practices artifice.
9. One who practices artifice, stratagem, or cunning contrivance; a schemer, contriver.
Amitabh Bachchan vs Deputy Commissioner Of Income Tax on 29 November, 2006
Equivalent citations: (2007) 106 TTJ Mum 925