masterpiece

plural masterpieces · alternative obsolete master-piece

1. A piece of work that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career.

   1 more example

   The design, when finally developed, was a slight disappointment to Monsieur Deplis, who had suspected Icarus of being a fortress taken by Wallenstein in the Thirty Years' War, but he was more than satisfied with the execution of the work, which was acclaimed by all who had the privilege of seeing it as Pincini's masterpiece.

   1911, Saki, The Chronicles of Clovis

2. A work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship.

   Masterpieces are not completed, they are abandoned.

   3 more examples

   “‘Man is amazing, but he is not a masterpiece,’ he said, keeping his eyes fixed on the glass case. ‘Perhaps the artist was a little mad. […]’

   1899 September – 1900 July, Joseph Conrad, chapter XX, in Lord Jim: A Tale, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, published 1900, →OCLC, page 221

   It would hardly be an overstatement to describe Drummond's next design as an outstanding British locomotive class, and possibly his masterpiece.

   1951 November, David R. Webb, “The Drummond 4-4-0 Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 774

   It was replaced by a New Euston, "bold in design and layout and in keeping with a new railway era". Betjeman was unmoved, describing it tersely as "no masterpiece" and noting that its lack of platform seating made it an "inhuman structure" which seemed to ignore passengers.

   2023 February 8, Greg Morse, “Crossing the border... by Sleeper”, in RAIL, number 976, page 45

3. A work created in order to qualify as a master craftsman and member of a guild.