ARTIST (Artista), in an academical sense, denotes a philosopher or proficient in the faculty of arts.
In the early ages of universities, the seven liberal arts completed the whole course of study, or philosophy, as it was called: whence the masters of this faculty were denominated Artists. What they understood by the liberal arts used to be summed up in the following Latin verse:
Lingua, Tropus, Ratio, Numerus, Tonus, Angulus, Astra.