work of art

American  

noun

1. a piece of creative work in the arts, especially a painting or sculpture.

2. a product that gives aesthetic pleasure and that can be judged separately from any utilitarian considerations.

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work of art British  

noun

1. a piece of fine art, such as a painting or sculpture

2. something that may be likened to a piece of fine art, esp in beauty, intricacy, etc

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Etymology

Origin of work of art

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

The series is at once satirical and celebratory; “Bait” feels abundant, both in its presentation of a culture, which has the ring of documentary truth, and as a beautifully realized work of art.

From Los Angeles Times

The last of these was his first “negative sculpture,” in which the work of art is itself an absence; his newest creations under this concept are currently on view at Gagosian.

From The Wall Street Journal

The goal to make it 4-0 was a work of art as the 33-year-old used his left foot to curl a sublime effort into the top corner from outside the box.

From BBC

And if you buy a work of art from an artist and you sell it at a later date, why shouldn’t you be able to sell it for more than you bought it for?

From The Wall Street Journal

But it is also an exhilarating work of art, in which the more conceptual elements of Le Corbusier’s architecture—light, space and landscape—are interpreted in new and uncanny ways.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• artwork
• composition
• piece