A work of art is an intellectual product.
The first thing we have to do before entering fully into the analysis of the meaning of the term work is to proceed to determine its etymological origin. By doing so we discovered that that word emanates from Latin, and more precisely from the word opera , which can be translated as "work."
A work is a thing produced or done by a person or a group of people. The concept has various uses and applications depending on the context. The different uses of the term, of course, generate different expressions. A work of art , in this framework, is a creation for aesthetic purposes or with high quality ( "This painting is a true work of art" , "Millionaires often invest in works of art as a financial asset" ).
What is a work of art
One of the most common meanings refers to the intellectual product created in the field of arts or sciences .
For example: "Cervantes' work revolutionized world literature" , "The Uruguayan band presented its new work in a stadium in the capital" , "The North American artist surprised attendees with a controversial work" , "My granddaughter is an actress and "At the moment he is working on a play."
This means that we find both theatrical works, which are written by playwrights, and sculptural works, made by artists of said discipline, or musical works that are created by composers .
All this without forgetting that the term masterpiece is also found in relation to those. It is an expression that attempts to highlight that a specific work is the most important and valuable that its author has carried out throughout his entire professional career. This means, for example, that we can determine that Miguel de Cervantes' masterpiece was "Don Quixote" or that Frank Kafka has gone down in history for his masterpiece titled "The Metamorphosis."
The structure under development or construction is usually called a work.
Structure under construction
A work, on the other hand, is known as the building or structure under construction and the place where something is being built or fixed.
«Next to my house they started work to build an office tower», "The street is closed as the government is doing work on the pavement" y "Three workers died in an accident that occurred at a construction site" son expresiones que muestran este uso.
Work as power of action and public development
Work is also the power of action or the means that allows us to achieve an objective: «We emerged as champions by the work and grace of the Holy Spirit» , «The parish, through the work of Father Miguel, obtained almost fifty kilograms of non-perishable food to take to the poorest rural towns in the country .
Public works , for their part, are those developed by the State . Its execution, therefore, involves the investment of public funds. Public works must have a social purpose (benefit the community) and not a profit motive.
The notion in religion
Within the religious sphere, we must highlight what is known as "Opus Dei" or "Work of God." It is an institution belonging to the Catholic Church and was founded in the 1980s with the consent of the then Pope John Paul II.
The Aragonese priest Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer was the one who promoted the creation of that entity that has among its fundamental principles ordinary life, the sanctification of work, charity, mortification and prayer.