Spain is the homeland of many famous artists, with Spanish speakers known for producing magnificent and culturally significant works in the spheres of painting, sculpting, architecture, literature, dance, music, and theater.

A scene as colorful and vibrant as the Spanish art scene also has a lot of vibrant and colorful words to describe and talk about art. Whether you want to study Spanish art or just want to be able to make better small talk, you should take the time to learn these 37 Spanish art words.

1. Arte/Artes

How to pronounce? ahr-the/ ahr-tehs

What does it mean? Art or arts

Of course, the first thing you need to learn is the word for art in Spanish. When talking about art in general, just say the singular “arte”, if you are talking about the field of the arts, use the plural “artes”.

2. Artista

How to pronounce? ahr-tees-tah

What does it mean? Artist

If you are talking about a male artist, add “el”, so that would be “el artista”. If you are talking about a female artist, add “la”, so that would be “la artista”.

3. Artista desconocido/desconocida

How to pronounce? ahr-tees-tah deh-koh-noh-see-doh/de-koh-noh-see-dah

What does it mean? Unknown artist (masculine/feminine)

Sometimes artworks are celebrated even if the identity of the artist who created them has been lost to us. This is how you refer to an “unknown artist” in Spanish.

4. Artisto/a famoso/a

How to pronounce? ahr-tees-toh/tah fah-moh-soh/fah-moh-sah

What does it mean? Famous artist

This is the Spanish art word for an artist who has become renowned for their artwork. Many Spanish artists are known beyond just Spanish-speaking countries and have become recognized around the world. 

5. Museo

How to pronounce? moo-seh-oh

What does it mean? Museum

One of the most common Spanish travel phrases that beginners will be advised to learn is “donde es” or “where is”. If you are looking for a museum, you say “donde es museo?”. Many places in Spain, be they a big city or a small town, should have one or two museums showcasing works of local or internationally renowned Spanish artists. People will surely be proud to help you discover the beauty of their local art scene and point you towards the “museo”.

6. Exhibición de arte

How to pronounce? ehks-poh-see-syohn deh ahr-teh

What does it mean? Art exhibit

Where ever you go in Spain, you should make it a point to look out for local art exhibits that you can attend. It’s a great way to not only learn more about Spanish art and culture but to meet friendly locals as well. Spanish people take pride in the accomplishments of their countrymen and will be eager to tell you more about the artists featured in the exhibits.

7. Pintura

How to pronounce? peen-too-rah

What does it mean? Painting/Paint

This is a word for the product of a painter, their painting, and also what they use to create it, the paint. It can also be used to describe the particular art field of painting. There are many popular, influential, and renowned Spanish painters, but one of the most famous has got to be Pablo Picasso, the father of the cubist movement.

8. Pintar

How to pronounce? peen-tahr

What does it mean? To paint

This is a verb and it describes the act of painting. So, if you attend a painting class, this is what you will learn to do. 

9. Pintor/Pintora

How to pronounce? peen – tor/peen-tor -ah

What does it mean? Painter (masculine/feminine)

Again, depending on whether it’s a male or a female, you should also use el/la as appropriate. Both these words describe someone who paints for fun, a living, or because it is their passion. 

10. El color

How to pronounce? el kuh-luhr

What does it mean? The colors

One of the best ways to make “small talk” about a painting is to talk about the colors that the painter used and how they make you feel.

11. La acuarela 

How to pronounce? la ah-kwah-reh-lah

What does it mean? The watercolor

This refers to a particular style of painting that uses the type of paint known as “watercolors”. 

12. La pintura al óleo 

How to pronounce? la peen-too-rah ahl oh-leh-oh

What does it mean? The oil painting

This is another type of painting that is done with oil paints.

13. Paisajismo 

How to pronounce? pay-sah-hees-moh

What does it mean? Landscape painting

This type of painting is named after the subject material. It focuses on capturing images of natural scenery such as forests or mountains.

14. Caballete 

How to pronounce? kah-bah-yeh-teh

What does it mean? Easel

An easel is a wooden frame that is used to hold a canvas or other piece of material which a painter will paint on.

15. Lienzo 

How to pronounce? lyehn -sho

What does it mean? Canvas

The canvas is the actual surface on which a painter works on. During the act of painting, a painter may place their canvas on an easel.

16. Los pinceles 

How to pronounce? los peen-sehl-es

What does it mean? Paintbrushes

This is one of the basic instruments or tools needed by a painter. It is how they apply paint to a canvas.

17. Óleo

How to pronounce? oh-leh-oh

What does it mean? Oil paint

This is a specific type of paint, which consists of pigment mixed into linseed oil. 

18. Acurela

How to pronounce? ah-kwah-reh-laht

What does it mean? Watercolor paints

This is another common type of paint where the pigments are mixed into a water-based solution.

19. Termentina

How to pronounce? treh-mehn-tee-nah

What does it mean? Turpentine

This is a solvent solution that is used to modify the viscosity of oil paints to create different hues and effects.

20. Bosquejo

How to pronounce? bohs-keh-hoh

What does it mean? Sketch

This is usually defined as a rough pencil drawing. The drawing itself might be the finished artwork, or it can be an outline that a painter will use as a visualization guide. They will fill in the sketch with color using paints.

21. Dibujo

How to pronounce: dee-boo-hoh

What does it mean: A drawing or the act of drawing

This is the Spanish word for a drawing, which is a rendering created by an artist using paper and drawing instruments such as pencils, charcoal, pens, or colored pencils or crayons. It is also used to describe the actual act of drawing. So, if someone asks what you learned in art class, you can say “dibujo”.

22. Dibujar

How to pronounce?  dee-boo-hahr

What does it mean? To draw

This is a verb that talks about the act of creating a drawing or a sketch. 

23. Lápiz 

How to pronounce? lah-pees

What does it mean? Pencil

A pencil is a basic material or instrument that you use to create a drawing.

24. Lápiz de color 

How to pronounce? lah-pees deh koh-lohr

What does it mean? Colored pencil

Colored pencils are a special type of pigmented pencils which leave marks on paper in different colors.

25. Carboncillo 

How to pronounce? kahr-bohn-see-yoh

What does it mean? Charcoal or charcoal drawing

Charcoal pencils are a special type of pencils that can be used to create darker or lighter lines than you would get with an ordinary pencil.

26. Boligrafo

How to pronounce? boh-lee-grah-foh

What does it mean? Pen

A pen is another type of drawing instrument. Pen’s use ink so the lines created using a pen are more permanent than those created using pencil or charcoal.

27. Crayón

How to pronounce? krah-yohn

What does it mean? Crayons

A crayon is a stick of pigmented wax that can be used in drawing. Each crayon comes in a different color, which allows you to add color to your drawing.

28. Escultura

How to pronounce? ehs-kool-too-rah

What does it mean? Sculpture

Sculpture is an art form where the artist forms, molds, or carves three-dimensional art pieces from solid material. 

29. Estatua

How to pronounce? ehs-tah-twah

What does it mean? Statue

A statue is a sculpture that depicts a realistic figure of a person or an animal.

30. Escultro/escultora

How to pronounce? ehs-kool-tohr/ehs-kool-tohr-ah

What does it mean? Sculptor (masculine/feminine)

This is the Spanish art word for someone who specializes in sculpture. One of the greatest Spanish artists is a man called Alonso Berruguete who was a painter, architect, and sculptor.

31. Piedra 

How to pronounce? pyeh-drah

What does it mean? Stone

This is a common medium that a sculptor works with.

32. Arcilla

How to pronounce? ahr-see-yah

What does it mean? Clay

This is another medium that a sculptor can use to mold or form a sculpture or statue.

33. Madera

How to pronounce? mah-deh-rah 

What does it mean? Wood 

Some sculptors like to work with wood, carving it into various forms and figures.

34. El movimiento artístico

How to pronounce? el muv-mihnt ahr-tees-tee-hoh

What does it mean? Artistic movement

An artistic movement is a specific style of art that is followed by a certain group of artists who was active during a particular time.

35. Cubismo

How to pronounce it? koo-bees-moh

What does it mean? Cubism

This is an example of an artistic movement. It’s is a 20th-century movement that was pioneered by the Spanish painter Pablo Picasso. 

36. Realismo

How to pronounce it? rreh-ah-lees-moh

What does it mean? Realism

Realism or naturalism is an art movement where the artist attempts to create an image that represents the subject truthfully or realistically.

37. Arte moderno

How to pronounce it? ahr-teh moh-dehr-noha

What is it? Modern art 

The modern art movement covers art produced from the 1860s to the 1970s. Modern artists broke from realistic traditions and tried to look at their subjects in new ways and depict them using new techniques.

Conclusion

One of the best ways to develop fluency in Spanish is to learn enough common words and phrases to enable you to hold conversations with native Spanish speakers.

While learning enough Spanish to order a meal or to talk about your life may be a great goal for beginners, if you really want to make a good impression on native speakers is to be able to hold an interesting conversation. 

Learn how to talk about movies or music to have more interesting conversations with native Spanish speakers. This will help you form better relationships and make friends quicker as you can then bond over common interests. Find a Spanish speaking tutor or group classes here.

Another good common interest that you can share with native Spanish speakers is an interest in the arts. Learn more about Spain’s rich artistic tradition and history and you are bound to have a lot of interesting questions and opinions that you can use to impress Spanish speakers.

If you want to learn Spanish on your own, we recommend either the Course Learn Spanish: Basic Spanish Vocabulary Specialization on Coursera.

As an addition to your language learning, try the language learning app Babbel. It's an convenient way to bring language learning wherever you go.

How to say Art in Spanish?

Arte, Artes

How to say Paint in Spanish?

Pintar

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