Masterpiece
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225529758
2008-07-14T04:24:18Z
Graham87
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[[Image:Mona Lisa.jpeg|thumb|160px|''Mona Lisa'', by [[Leonardo Da Vinci]], c. 1503–1506]]
'''Masterpiece''' (or ''chef d'œuvre'') refers to any [[work of art]] that is considered extraordinary. The phrase is generally used to describe what is considered an artist's [[Magnum opus|best piece of work]]. For example, [[Leonardo Da Vinci]]'s ''[[Mona Lisa]]'', [[Michelangelo]]'s ''[[David (Michelangelo)|David]]'', [[Ludwig van Beethoven]]'s ''[[Ninth Symphony]]'', [[Leo Tolstoy]]'s ''[[War and Peace]]'', [[Miles Davis]]' ''[[Kind of Blue]]''.
Originally, the term referred to a piece of work produced by an [[apprentice]] aspiring to become a [[master craftsman]] in the old European [[guild]] system, on which his fitness to qualify was judged, and if he was successful, was retained by the guild. Great care was therefore taken to produce a fine piece in whatever the craft was, whether painting, [[goldsmith]]ing, knifemaking, or many other trades. Under this system the masterpiece was produced at the start of the artist's independent career, and his most famous works were typically produced in later years. The [[Royal Academy]] in [[London]] is one institution that has acquired a fine collection of "Diploma works" in this way.
== See also ==
* [[Magnum opus]]
* [[Painting the Century 101 Portrait Masterpieces 1900-2000]]
* [[The Virtual Collection of Masterpieces]]
== External links ==
{{wiktionary|masterpiece}}
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[[Category:Works of art]]
[[Category:Traditions]]
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