What exactly is the meaning of contemporary?

Question

This would be a description of a piece of art.

Answer 1

Here's the dictionary definitions, after I will put what it means in a description of a piece of art.

1. existing, occurring, or living at the same time; belonging to the same time.
2. of about the same age or date.
3. of the present time; modern.

So... if you describe today a piece of art as 'contemporary' you are saying it is produced/created in the same time as you are living.

But, (here it gets tricky) if you were talking about older artists, you could also use contemporary in the sense that Leonardo's art was contemporary to Michelangelo's - that means they were both produced in the time that they both lived.

So I guess I'm saying it depends on the context of your sentence.

Answer 2

Contemporary means approximately the same time. That is someone living in the 1990s is a contemporary of anyone else living at the same time. So most of the impressionist were contemporaries. therefore a piece of art would be anything created in the same period as any other piece. So although a work of art may be in the same style if it wasn't done at the same period them it would not be called a contemporary.

It comes from the latin con meaning together and tempus time

Answer 3

It is the other word for modern, literally 'this time'. But usually they use it for art made by artists that still live.

Van Gogh's work is considered modern but as he's dead a while it isn't contemporary but some may still use the term when they refer to his work as the spirit of it still lives on in art that is made now.

When discussing a 'body of art' like Leonardo's work Contemporary refers to work made in that same period.

Answer 4

like modern...or up beat....lively....