Definition of the word masterpiece

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A masterpiece, magnum opus, or chef-d’œuvre (French for ‘master of work’; PL chefs-d’œuvre; French: [ʃɛ.d‿œvʁ]) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person’s career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship.

Historically, a «masterpiece» was a work of a very high standard produced to obtain membership of a guild or academy in various areas of the visual arts and crafts.

In painting, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (c. 1503–06) is considered an archetypal masterpiece,^[1]^[2]^[3] although it was not produced for admission to a guild or academy.

Etymology[edit]

The form masterstik is recorded in English or Scots in a set of Aberdeen guild regulations dated to 1579, whereas «masterpiece» is first found in 1605, already outside a guild context, in a Ben Jonson play.^[4] «Masterprize» was another early variant in English.^[5]

In English, the term rapidly became used in a variety of contexts for an exceptionally good piece of creative work, and was «in early use, often applied to man as the ‘masterpiece’ of God or Nature».^[6]

History[edit]

Federico Zuccari, Two Painter’s Apprentices, 1609. They would have to produce a masterpiece to become masters at the end of their apprenticeships.

Originally, the term masterpiece referred to a piece of work produced by an apprentice or journeyman aspiring to become a master craftsman in the old European guild system. His fitness to qualify for guild membership was judged partly by the masterpiece, and if he was successful, the piece was retained by the guild. Great care was therefore taken to produce a fine piece in whatever the craft was, whether confectionery, painting, goldsmithing, knifemaking, leatherworking, or many other trades.

In London, in the 17th century, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, for instance, required an apprentice to produce a masterpiece under their supervision at a «workhouse» in Goldsmiths’ Hall. The workhouse had been set up as part of a tightening of standards after the company became concerned that the level of skill of goldsmithing was being diluted. The wardens of the company had complained in 1607 that the «true practise of the Art & Mystery of Goldsmithry is not only grown into great decays but also dispersed into many parts, so as now very few workmen are able to finish & perfect a piece of plate singularly with all the garnishings & parts thereof without the help of many & several hands…». The same goldsmithing organization still requires the production of a masterpiece but it is no longer produced under supervision.^[7]^[8]

In Nuremberg, Germany, between 1531 and 1572, apprentices who wished to become master goldsmith were required to produce columbine cups, dies for a steel seal, and gold rings set with precious stones before they could be admitted to the goldsmiths’ guild. If they failed to be admitted, then they could continue to work for other goldsmiths but not as a master themselves. In some guilds, apprentices were not allowed to marry until they had obtained full membership.^[9]

In its original meaning, the term was generally restricted to tangible objects, but in some cases, where guilds covered the creators of intangible products, the same system was used. The best-known example today is Richard Wagner’s opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1868), where much of the plot is concerned with the hero’s composition and performance of a «masterpiece» song, to allow him to become a meistersinger in the (non-commercial) Nuremberg guild. This follows the surviving rulebook of the guild.

The practice of producing a masterpiece has continued in some modern academies of art, where the general term for such works is now reception piece. The Royal Academy in London uses the term «diploma work» and it has acquired a fine collection of diploma works received as a condition of membership.

Modern use[edit]

In modern use, a masterpiece is a creation in any area of the arts that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person’s career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship. For example, the novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens is generally considered a literary masterpiece.^[10]^[11]^[12] The term is often used loosely, and some critics, such as Edward Douglas of The Tracking Board, feel it is overused in describing recent films.^[13]

References[edit]

^ «The Theft That Made Mona Lisa a Masterpiece». NPR. July 30, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
^ «Why Mona Lisa Became An Icon». 21 September 2001.
^ Lichfield, John (April 2, 2005). «The Moving of the Mona Lisa». The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-12. the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world
^ OED:»Masterpiece». See also: Encarta. Archived 2009-11-01.
^ OED:»Masterprize»
^ OED, and examples
^ A History of the Goldsmiths’ Company. The Goldsmiths’ Company. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
^ Goldsmiths’ Company Apprenticeship Programme. Archived 2014-12-30 at archive.today The Goldsmiths’ Centre. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
^ Cup, Silver, room 69, case 25. Victoria & Albert Museum. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
^ Forster, John (1976). «VII». Life of Charles Dickens. London: Everyman’s Library. p. 6. ISBN 0460007823.
^ «John Forster, The Life of Charles Dickens». Classic Literature. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
^ Monod, Sylvère (1968). Dickens the Novelist. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0806107684.
^ «Can We Please Stop Overusing the Word «Masterpiece»? (Opinion)». February 17, 2018.

External links[edit]

Look up masterpiece in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Masterpieces at the Louvre.

Источник

: a work done with extraordinary skill

especially

: a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement

: a piece of work presented to a medieval guild as evidence of qualification for the rank of master

Synonyms

Example Sentences

The painting was immediately recognized as a masterpiece.

Herman Melville’s masterpiece was Moby-Dick.

Her study of apes is a masterpiece.

Recent Examples on the Web

But no one can doubt that Yi Yi is another unsung Edward Yang masterpiece — and one that lands in a very different state of mind from A Brighter Summer Day.

—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Apr. 2023

Turns out, the family joke was a hidden masterpiece, a genuine work of Pieter Bruegel the Younger, a 17th-century Flemish artist.

—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2023

The French masterpiece at 3518 Armstrong Ave., designed in 2008 by celebrated architect Lloyd Lumpkins, has six bedrooms in more than 12,200 square feet of living space.

—Allie Beth Allman & Associates, Dallas News, 4 Apr. 2023

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Precious Colors Two of the most outstanding pieces to come out of the show are Jaeger-LeCoultre’s métiers d’art masterpieces, Reverso One Precious Colors.

—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2023

Dusty old painting turns out to be Brueghel ‘masterpiece’ This 17th-century painting was hiding in a family home for years.

—Alexandra Meeks, CNN, 28 Mar. 2023

An intense masterpiece with a warming oak-spiced, lingering finish.

—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023

The daytime festival highlights artists, sidewalk chalk masterpieces, international street cuisine, food trucks, craft beer and family-friendly activities.

—Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2023

In the form of these miniature masterpieces, which sit atop microchips, the semiconductor industry churns out more objects in a year than have ever been produced in all the other factories in all the other industries in the history of the world.

—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2023

See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘masterpiece.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of masterpiece was
in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near masterpiece

Cite this Entry

“Masterpiece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masterpiece. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on masterpiece

Last Updated:
12 Apr 2023
— Updated example sentences

Subscribe to America’s largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Merriam-Webster unabridged

Источник

mas·ter·piece

(măs′tər-pēs′)

1. An outstanding work of art or craft.

2. The greatest work, as of an artist. Also called masterwork.

3. Something superlative of its kind: a masterpiece of political ingenuity.

[Probably translation of Dutch meesterstuk or German Meisterstück : Dutch meester and German Meister, master + Dutch stuk and German Stück, piece of work.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

masterpiece

(ˈmɑːstəˌpiːs) or less commonly

masterwork

1. an outstanding work, achievement, or performance

2. the most outstanding piece of work of a creative artist, craftsman, etc

[C17: compare Dutch meesterstuk, German Meisterstück, a sample of work submitted to a guild by a craftsman in order to qualify for the rank of master]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

mas•ter•piece

(ˈmæs tərˌpis, ˈmɑ stər-)

1. a person’s greatest piece of work, as in an art.

2. a fine example of skill or excellence: a masterpiece of improvisation.

3. a piece made by a person aspiring to the rank of master in a medieval guild.

[1570–80]

masterpiece

— Originally, it was used in a technical or academic sense to apply to a work that was presented to a medieval guild for qualification as a «master.»

masterpiece

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

masterpiece

noun

An outstanding and ingenious work:

Translations

mistrovské dílo

hovedværkmesterværk

mestariteos

remek djelo

mestermű

meistaraverk, snilldarverk

傑作

걸작

majstrovské dielo

mojstrovina

mästerverk

งานชิ้นเอก

kiệt tác

Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

masterpiece

[ˈmɑːstə^rpiːs] n

[artist, writer] → chef-d’œuvre m
to be sb’s masterpiece [book, work of art] → être le chef-d’œuvre de qn

(= supreme example) a masterpiece of sth → un chef-d’œuvre de qchmaster plan n → schéma m directeurmaster’s degree Master’s degree, master’s [ˈmɑːstə^rz] n → maîtrise f
I’ve a master’s in economics → J’ai une maîtrise d’économie.

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

master

(ˈmaːstə) – feminine mistress (ˈmistris) – noun

1. a person or thing that commands or controls. I’m master in this house!

2. an owner (of a slave, dog etc). The dog ran to its master.

3. a male teacher. the Maths master.

4. the commander of a merchant ship. the ship’s master.

5. a person very skilled in an art, science etc. He’s a real master at painting.

6. (with capital) a polite title for a boy, in writing or in speaking. Master John Smith.

adjective

(of a person in a job) fully qualified, skilled and experienced. a master builder/mariner/plumber.

verb

1. to overcome (an opponent, handicap etc). She has mastered her fear of heights.

2. to become skilful in. I don’t think I’ll ever master arithmetic.

ˈmasterful adjective

showing the power, authority or determination of a master. a masterful man.

ˈmasterfully adverbˈmasterfulness nounˈmasterly adjective

showing the skill of a master. His handling of the situation was masterly.

ˈmasterliness nounˈmastery noun

(usually with over or of) control, great skill or knowledge. We have gained mastery over the enemy.

master key

a key which opens a number of locks.

ˈmastermind noun

the person planning and controlling an undertaking or scheme. He was the mastermind behind the scheme.

verb

to plan (such a scheme). Who masterminded the robbery?

ˈmasterpiece noun

a piece of work or art worthy (to be called the greatest achievement) of a master. He considers this picture his masterpiece.

master stroke

a very clever thing to do. This sudden, unexpected attack was a master stroke.

master switch

a switch for controlling a number of other switches. There is a master switch that controls all the electricity.

master of ceremonies abbreviation ( MC)

a person who announces the various stages of an entertainment, formal social gathering, series of speakers at a dinner etc. The master of ceremonies introduced the speaker.

masterpiece

→ رَائِعَةٌ mistrovské dílo mesterværk Meisterstück αριστούργημα obra maestra mestariteos chef d’œuvre remek djelo capolavoro 傑作 걸작 meesterstuk mesterverk arcydzieło obra-prima шедевр mästerverk งานชิ้นเอก şaheser kiệt tác 杰作

Источник

masterpiece

1) Общая лексика: замечательное произведение искусства, шедевр

2) Шутливое выражение: нетленка

3) Табуированная лексика: женский лобок

Универсальный англо-русский словарь.
.
2011.

Смотреть что такое «masterpiece» в других словарях:

Masterpiece — Single par Mami Kawada extrait de l’album Linkage Face A Masterpiece Face B Jellyfish Sortie 4 février 2009 … Wikipédia en Français
Masterpiece — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Marterpiece Álbum de Rakim y Ken Y Publicación 14 de febrero de 2006 Género(s) Reggaeton … Wikipedia Español
Masterpiece — Mas ter*piece , n. Anything done or made with extraordinary skill; a capital performance; a chef d [oe]uvre; a supreme achievement. [1913 Webster] The top and masterpiece of art. South. [1913 Webster] Dissimulation was his masterpiece. Claredon.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Masterpiece — «Masterpiece» песня Мадонны. Первоначально была записана как саундтрек для фильма W.E. в 2012 году. Позже песня была включена в двенадцатый студийный альбом Мадонны под название MDNA. 3 апреля 2012 года песня была исполнена на радио в… … Википедия
masterpiece — (n.) c.1600, from MASTER (Cf. master) (n.) + PIECE (Cf. piece) (n.). A loan translation of Du. meesterstuk work by which a craftsman attains the rank of master (or its German cognate Meisterstück) … Etymology dictionary
masterpiece — [n] respected work of art chef d’oeuvre, classic, cream*, cream of the crop*, flower, gem*, jewel*, magnum opus, masterstroke, master work, model, monument, perfection, pièce de résistance*, prize, showpiece, standard, tour de force*, treasure;… … New thesaurus
masterpiece — ► NOUN ▪ a work of outstanding skill. ORIGIN originally referring to a piece of work by a craftsman accepted as qualification for membership of a guild as an acknowledged master … English terms dictionary
masterpiece — [mas′tər pēs΄] n. [calque of Ger meisterstück] 1. a thing made or done with masterly skill; great work of art or craftsmanship 2. the greatest work made or done by a person or group … English World dictionary
Masterpiece — For other uses, see Masterpiece (disambiguation). Mona Lisa, by Leonardo Da Vinci, c. 1503–1506 … Wikipedia
masterpiece — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ great ▪ It s one of the greatest masterpieces of Western art. ▪ acknowledged ▪ The piece ranks with such acknowledged masterpieces as the Mass in G. ▪ minor … Collocations dictionary
masterpiece — [[t]mɑ͟ːstə(r)piːs, mæ̱s [/t]] masterpieces 1) N COUNT A masterpiece is an extremely good painting, novel, film, or other work of art. His book, I must add, is a masterpiece. …masterpieces by artists like Rembrandt, Raphael and Ingres. 2) N… … English dictionary

Источник

Other forms: masterpieces

Many people have to agree that a painting or a novel is wonderful, and they usually need to feel that way for years, in order for it to be considered a true masterpiece.

An artist or writer is generally capable of creating only one masterpiece in her lifetime, if she makes a masterpiece at all. When an art historian or English teacher uses it, the word masterpiece implies a truly sublime, amazing creation. You can also describe something that’s simply great as a masterpiece, like the seven-layer chocolate cake your mom baked for your birthday. Masterpiece comes from the Dutch meesterstuk, «work by which a craftsman attains the rank of master.»

Definitions of masterpiece

noun

the most outstanding work of a creative artist or craftsman
noun

an outstanding achievement

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘masterpiece’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Look up masterpiece for the last time

Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the
words you need to know.

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.

Get started

Источник

Etymology[edit]

History[edit]

Modern use[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near masterpiece

Cite this Entry

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on masterpiece

mas·ter·piece

masterpiece

masterwork

mas•ter•piece

masterpiece

masterpiece

masterpiece

masterpiece

master

masterpiece

Смотреть что такое «masterpiece» в других словарях:

Look up masterpiece for the last time

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.