Craftsmanship
DEFINITION
Aptitude, skill, and manual dexterity in the use of tools and materials.<br><br>The quality of what a person does. Craftsmanship is most admired when a person creates with skill or dexterity, usually with the hands, whether with or without tools.An example: Robert Nanteuil (French , 1623-1678), Portrait of Louis XIV, 17th century, engraving, 49.7 x 42.6 cm (image) inches, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, CA. Nanteuil was the official engraver of portraits for King Louis XIV. The excellence of his engravings' craftsmanship has never been surpassed.Quote: "Be a good craftsman; it won't stop you being a genius." Pierre-August Renoir (1841-1919), French painter. See genius and Impressionism. "Anyone who can handle a needle convincingly can make us see a thread which is not there." E. H. Gombrich (1909-), British art critic and art historian. See illusion and technique. Also see hallmark and obsession.