I often feel the need to reiterate the distinction between art and beauty. I feel that we often get caught up in the moment and are too eager to ascribe the status of art to anything we find beautiful. Can not something be beautiful without being art? Or am I not right to make this distinction?

In considering the answer to this question is seems that one must take into account all pieces which can be considered beautiful and yet not art. The one that immediately comes to mind are people. One can think of countless songs in which the object of that song is described as beautiful. So then the question becomes are people works of art? If one can attribute the quality of beauty to a person and yet not place them under the category of art then one would have at least one instance in which the two words were not interchangeable.

Are people art?