What Makes a Masterpiece? | Art & Object

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What do we mean when we call an artwork a MASTERPIECE? Who decides which art becomes one? And what artists make them?

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Fair

Pussy Riot and FEMEN protestors at the Russian pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. License.

Why Art Fairs Have Become Venues of Protest

8 Standout Shows at the Venice Biennale 2026

Highlights from Frieze New York 2026

Photography

The Terror of War, 1972. This searing image had long been credited to photographer Nick Ut, but a documentary team recently questioned the attribution.

Disasters of War: The Napalm Girl Debate

The Art of Photographing Art

The Politics of Presidential Portraiture

Gallery

Miró and the United States Installation

An Invitation into Joan Miró’s Imagination

Celia Paul’s Paintings Speak to Loss, Solitude, and Identity

Los Angeles Rewrites the Story of American Democracy at the Autry

Women Artists

Auctioneer Yu-Ge Wang sells Miss January by Marlene Dumas for $13.6 million. Courtesy Christie's New York

The Story of Marlene Dumas' Record Breaking "Miss January"

Women in the American Glass Studio at Corning Museum of Glass

Berthe Weill: The Mother of Modernism

Indigenous Art

Nyapanyapa Yunupiŋu (Gumatj), Gäna (Self), 2009–2018. Aboriginal art is rooted in tradition but addresses contemporary concerns such as climate change and reparations.

Australian Indigenous Art Speaks to Contemporary Concerns

Santa Fe: The Origins of an Art City

Jeffrey Gibson’s Celebrated Venice Biennale Exhibit at The Broad

Renaissance

Andrea del Verrocchio, Detail of David with the head of Goliath, c. 1466 - 69. Bronze. Bargello National Museum.

7 Depictions of David in Renaissance & Baroque Art

The History and Influence of Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man

Michelangelo: Exploring the Master's Art and Life

Museum

An aerial shot of the British Museum. Source.

The British Museum and the Limits of a Neutral Institution

An Intimate Look into Frida Kahlo’s Life at Museo Casa Kahlo

Nature’s Intelligence: Refik Anadol Redefines the Canvas

Black Artists

Jacob Lawrence, Harriet Tubman Series (Panel #4), 1940. Tempera on hardboard, unknown dimensions, Hampton University Museum, Hampton, Virginia.

A Look into the Harlem Renaissance

An Intimate Exploration of Culture and Memory at NXTHVN

The Life and Art of Noah Davis at the Hammer Museum

Latin American Art

SP-ARTE 2026. Courtesy SP-Arte/Divulgação

Highlights from SP-Arte 2026

True South: The Rise of Latin American Art

Director Carla Gutierrez Examines Frida Kahlo’s Life Through Film

Auction

An auction preview at Christie’s last spring. Source.

A Closer Look Into the $2.5 Billion Spring Auction Rebound

What a $45 Million Basquiat Says About the Art Market Right Now

Artists Fight for Intellectual Property Rights

LGBTQ Artists

Frances Cranmer Greenman, Self Portrait, 1923. Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Jennifer Dasal’s New Book on The American Girls’ Club for Artists

Preview Laurence Philomene’s Masterful Monograph: "Puberty"

Eisenman’s Paintings Back in NYC Art Scene at Hauser & Wirth

Modern Art

Robert Delaunay, Rhythmes, 1934.

What is Orphism? The Modern Art Movement Explained

What is Resin Art: Fun Trend or Environmental Threat?

The Best Art Museum in All 50 U.S. States

Ancient Art

An archeological site in Malatya, Turkey. Source.

A Record for Repatriation: Turkey Reclaims Its Cultural Heritage

Consider this Before Buying an Ancient Coin Necklace or Jewelry

The Iconography of Zoroastrianism, the Oldest Monotheistic Religion

Contemporary Art

Wallace Chan, Vessels of Other Worlds, Venice Rebirth sculpture

Eco-Feminism and Post-Spirituality at the 2026 Venice Biennale

How LACMA Is Centering Curation Around Cross-Cultural Exchange

From Poker to Paintings: How Jeffrey Magid Learned to Collect Art

Design

Daniel Arsham Studio

How Multimedia Artist Daniel Arsham Builds a Creative Life

The History Behind Cooper Hewitt’s National Design Awards

The Art of Design: A Rediscovery of Vienna's Interior Style

Sculpture

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence, 1617. young man looks to the sky in ecstasy, laying back sensually atop an iron grate licked by flames

Religion & Sensuality in Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Sculptures

Sculptures at The Bruce Explore the Energy of the Natural World

The New Museum Reopens with a Focus on Modern Technology

Drawing

Haring painting the backdrop for the Palladium nightclub, 1985

Comics Enter the Fine Art Market at David Zwirner, London

A Love of the Female Form in Renoir’s Drawings

Six Decades of Ruth Asawa’s Sculptures at MoMA

Asian Art

Edgar Degas, The Dance Class, 1874. Oil on canvas. 32 7/8 x 30 3/8 in. (83.5 x 77.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Life and Art of Edgar Degas

Kintsugi Pottery Mending: Fragile Art for the Anxious Mind

Art 101: What was Art Nouveau?

Painting

Peter Paul Rubens, detail of Portrait of the Artist, 1623. Oil on panel. The Royal Collection.

The Art and Life of Peter Paul Rubens

A Journey Through Art History in James Hyde’s Paintings

How Fear and Courage Have Been Represented in Art History

Antiques

Euros bills hanging to dry on a clothes line

How Money Laundering Works In The Art World

Maison Gerard Celebrates 50 Years With Historic Art Deco Pieces on View

Remembering Sanford Smith: Art Lover, Collector, and Businessman