Traditional attempts to define the concept of "art" has frequently meant finding their core characteristics or necessary and jointly sufficient conditions. Especially mimetic and formalist theories have had numerous proponents, arguing for the aesthetic relevance of iconicity or of formal aspects, respectively. In this paper, some basic tenets and problems of these approaches, most notably their essentialist biases, will be discussed. I shall put forward a moderate defense of the aesthetic relevance of mimetic or iconic features in the visual arts. Hereby, also studies from experimental aesthetics will be considered.