A work of art captures a sensitive expression or an idea.
The first thing we are going to do is determine the etymological origin of the two words that give shape to this term that we are now going to analyze. Both come from Latin:
• Work, first of all, emanates from the word “opera”, which can be translated as “work”.
• Art, secondly, we can determine that it is the result of the evolution of the term "ars", which is synonymous with "work of great creativity."
What is a work of art
The thing produced by man is called a work . The term is used to name material creation (such as a craft or an industrial product) and intellectual production (a story, a song, etc.).
Art is the sensitive vision of the human being about the real or imaginary world. Artists express their perceptions, emotions and sensations through various linguistic, plastic and sound resources.
A work of art , therefore, is a product that transmits an idea or a sensitive expression . It is about the creation that expresses the intention of an artist . For example: "In this museum there are more than a thousand works of art that can be appreciated by the public" , "A Paraguayan painter raised almost a million pesos by auctioning three works of art" , "The Iranian filmmaker's new film is a work of art capable of moving anyone .
A sculpture is a work of art.
Historical examples
The notion of an artistic work is usually identified with the plastic arts . In this sense, paintings and sculptures are often called works of art. Musical, literary and cinematographic creations, however, are also works of art, since they are productions created by a person with artistic intention.
There are many works of art, from different branches, that have become a fundamental pillar of History and that are known throughout the world. However, among the most significant paintings are the following: "The Last Supper", made by Leonardo da Vinci; "The Sunflowers" by Van Gogh, "The Scream" by Edvard Munch, "La Gioconda" by Da Vinci, "Guernica" by Pablo Picasso or "The Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo.
Likewise, in terms of sculptures, we could highlight the value of "David" by Michelangelo, "The Thinker" by Rodin, "Discobolus" by Myron or "Apollo and Daphne" by Bernini.
Considerations about a work of art
The consideration of art as an elevated dimension and almost foreign to ordinary people means that only the productions of great masters or recognized figures are considered as artistic works. The painting of an office worker who dedicates himself to art as a hobby or a story written by a grocer is hardly considered a work of art on a social level.
In addition to all this, we would have to explain that there is also what is called a total work of art. This term was created and generalized by the great German composer Richard Wagner (1813 – 1883), known for the creation of operas such as "Tristan und Isolde" or his tetralogy called "The Ring of the Nibelung." That artist decided to use the aforementioned expression to refer to any work of art that managed to combine both music and theater through visual arts.