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371:. The workhouse had been set up as part of a tightening of standards after the company became concerned that the level of skill of goldsmithing was being diluted. The wardens of the company had complained in 1607 that the "true practise of the Art & Mystery of Goldsmithry is not only grown into great decays but also dispersed into many parts, so as now very few workmen are able to finish & perfect a piece of plate singularly with all the garnishings & parts thereof without the help of many & several hands...". The same goldsmithing organization still requires the production of a masterpiece but it is no longer produced under supervision.
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system. His fitness to qualify for guild membership was judged partly by the masterpiece, and if he was successful, the piece was retained by the guild. Great care was therefore taken to produce a fine piece in whatever the craft was, whether confectionery, painting,
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In its original meaning, the term was generally restricted to tangible objects, but in some cases, where guilds covered the creators of intangible products, the same system was used. The best-known example today is
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that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship. For example, the novel
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In
English, the term rapidly became used in a variety of contexts for an exceptionally good piece of creative work, and was "in early use, often applied to man as the 'masterpiece' of God or Nature".
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Historically, a "masterpiece" was a work of a very high standard produced to obtain membership of a guild or academy in various areas of the visual arts and crafts.
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396:(1868), where much of the plot is concerned with the hero's composition and performance of a "masterpiece" song, to allow him to become a
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The practice of producing a masterpiece has continued in some modern academies of art, where the general term for such works is now
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is generally considered a literary masterpiece. The term is often used loosely, and some critics, such as Edward
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the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world
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is often considered a literary masterpiece, and one of the greatest works of
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839:"Can We Please Stop Overusing the Word "Masterpiece"? (Opinion)"
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is first found in 1605, already outside a guild context, in a
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Masterpieces of the Oral and
Intangible Heritage of Humanity
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In modern use, a masterpiece is a creation in any area of
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Victoria & Albert Museum. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
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Painting the
Century: 101 Portrait Masterpieces 1900–2000
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to become masters at the end of their apprenticeships.
33:"Opus magnum" redirects here. For the video game, see
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The
Goldsmiths' Company. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
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The
Goldsmiths' Centre. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
667:"15 Of The Best Nigerian Books By Nigerian Authors"
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26:"Magnum opus" redirects here. For other uses, see
16:Creation that has been given much critical praise
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507:"The Theft That Made Mona Lisa a Masterpiece"
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300:Learn how and when to remove this message
166:guild regulations dated to 1579, whereas
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390:'s opera
376:Nuremberg
154:The form
150:Etymology
142:Mona Lisa
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448:See also
427:the arts
164:Aberdeen
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794:26 June
580:Encarta
460:Classic
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206:History
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