Art, Artifacts & Artisanry

What is Art?  Are the sculptures of Michelangelo diminished because he was inspired by Ancient Greek sculpture 2000 years earlier?  Creativity finds inspiration in many forms, and the creative output that is heralded as genius has quite often been inspired not by a Muse, but by some earlier creation.  Although we have many ancient artifacts, we also take pride in the creations we have that were inspired by artifacts.  Many of those creations are original design - but inspired none-the-less by authentic ancient art.