As someone who writes that kind of source code: It's not art, it's years of discipline and careful attention to detail.
A different way to say it: A song, and its performance, are art. The sheet music, and the filing system, are not. Yet, both are important and critical tools for preserving and communicating the song. The "legibility" of sheet music comes through discipline, but isn't the art itself.
Git is the filing system, and source code is the sheet music.
Some math proofs are mechanical and boring. Some are astoundingly elegant. Both get the job done. The latter gets talked about and praised.