Throughout history, the visual arts have allowed for a dynamic of aesthetic feedback, cultural plurality, and a standardization of the artistic phenomenon. The objective of this study is to analyze the current lines of research at the international level, during the period 1952-2020, on the visual arts in the university educational ecosystem. Bibliometric techniques were applied to 1727 articles in the thematic area of the "Arts and Humanities" to obtain the findings included in this report. Scientific production has increased mainly in the last decade, making up around 70% of all publications. Five schools of knowledge have been identified that generate articles on this topic related to art, visual culture, modernity, music, and history. The growing trend of scientific production worldwide shows the interest in developing aspects of this field of study. This article contributes to the academic, scientific, and institutional discussion on the role of the visual arts in contemporary society.