What is "art for art's sake"

n. (context arts slogan English) Art with no function, whose only purpose is beauty.

"Art for art's sake" is the usual English rendering of a French slogan from the early 19th century, "l'art pour l'art", and expresses a philosophy that the intrinsic value of art, and the only "true" art, is divorced from any didactic, moral, or utilitarian function. Such works are sometimes described as " autotelic", from the Greek autoteles, "complete in itself", a concept that has been expanded to embrace "inner-directed" or "self-motivated" human beings.

Ironically, the term is sometimes used commercially. A Latin version of this phrase ("ARS GRATIA ARTIS") is used as a motto by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and appears in the circle around the roaring head of Leo the Lion in its motion picture logo.

"Art for Art's Sake" is a single by 10cc released in 1975. It was taken from the How Dare You! album. It reached No. 5 on the UK singles chart.

The title of the song derives from the fact that Graham Gouldman's father, Hymie Gouldman, often used to say " Art for art's sake, money for God's sake, okay".