work of art

work of art

1. Literally, any creation that is the result of the imagination being used to produce that which can or is intended to be contemplated or appreciated for its beauty or significance. The composer is able to create stunning works of art with a single, very simple instrument. The films have long been considered important works of art. Some people claim this is a work of art, but all I see are random flecks of paint splattered on a canvas.
2. By extension, anything that is extremely well crafted or aesthetically pleasing. The code she wrote for this program is nothing short of a work of art. Wow, did you see his incredible body? That thing is a work of art!
See also: art, of, work
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

work of art

 
1. Lit. a piece of art. She purchased a lovely work of art for her living room.
2. . Fig. a good result of one's efforts. Your report was a real work of art. Very well done.
See also: art, of, work
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • literally
  • by no stretch
  • a non-denial denial
  • beyond imagination
  • by any stretch
  • big with
  • big with (someone)
  • big with someone
  • mind's eye, in my
  • make believe
References in periodicals archive
In so far as the aesthetic value of the plastic work of art is concerned, it should be stated that, despite the commonly attributed meaning, the term "aesthetics" does not only designate the category of "beauty", but it also supposes the capacity to trigger and communicate emotions that are specific to the receiver's senses.
An artist is a storyteller, and each of my students also became a storyteller by interpreting an artist's work of art, and then re-creating it with plasticine clay.
Tom Jones, of the Wales TUC, said he did not think the overall concept of an iconic work of art for North Wales should be allowed to die, although he said he was not all that struck on the designs that had reached the Living Landmarks regional shortlist.
* Find a work of art that speaks to you on an intellectual level.
The aim of this study was to explore whether people are able to align a work of art with a given corporate identity.
Featuring brilliant jewel-tones and a simple design, the work of art creates a striking contrast to the other 13 more intricately-styled windows in the chapel of the school, located a half hour west of Toronto in the diocese of Niagara.
In 1936 the Marxist critic Walter Benjamin published his celebrated essay 'The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction'.
The Swedish capital was founded on one of these islands--now known as Gamla Stan (the Old City)--and has extended itself over 13 more, becoming a work of art that is defined by its waterfronts.
The first point on which it fails is that it is a collection of essays dealing with a wide variety of subjects and largely intent on analyzing the specific work of art at hand, and is not really able to integrate them into the thesis which the stated purpose seems to outline.
SO where do you display your favourite work of art?
The Mellon Foundation's sponsorship of a comprehensive scholarly investigation of the Dunhuang caves is described at http://www.mellon.org./programs/otheractivities/ARTstor/ and a press release describes the work of art historian Sarah Fraser, at Northwestern University, at http://www.northwestern.edu/univ-relations/observer/ stories/02-08-02/exploration.html.
Sometime before the Ballets Russes' debut in Paris at the beginning of the last century, Oscar Wilde remarked, "One should either be a work of art or wear a work of art." The Ballets Russes' artists did both.
This planning grid for teaching visual arts in grade 2 in Delaware schools outlines the following six standards for students to complete: (1) students will select and use form, media, techniques, and processes to create work of art and communicate meaning; (2) students will create ways to use visual, spatial, and temporal concepts in creating works of art; (3) students will invent, select, evaluate, and use subjects, themes symbols, problems, and ideas to create works of art; (4) students will understand the visual arts in relation to diverse cultures, time, and places; (5) students will reflect upon, describe, analyze, interpret and evaluate works of art and design; and (6) students will understand the visual arts in relation to other disciplines.
But, in fact, a work of art that acknowledges the loss to which we are all born, especially a work of art that depicts its subjects compassionately, can for many provide insight and even comfort otherwise unknown.
The dotcom arm of R-JH Public Relations, Super.at Ltd, was closed at the end of June, and this week Work Of Art - a company set up two years ago to take commissions on selling pieces by young artists - was shut down.