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Why do you say masterpiece, and not piece of art?

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Well, people do say “a piece of art”, but “masterpiece” is usually a very special piece (or work) of art. Quoting Wikipedia,

Masterpiece (or chef d'œuvre) in modern usage refers to a creation 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 or workmanship.

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    The term comes from the medieval guild system, where to attain mastery, and with it the right to open your own shop, take apprentices, etc., you had to make a master-piece to show your competence in your craft. (Of course this is pretty oversimplified as far as the history goes - guilds were very complex, and varied greatly from place to place.)
    – Marthaª
    Oct 7, 2010 at 3:25
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    Martha, you should put that in as an answer.
    – TRiG
    Oct 15, 2010 at 14:22
  • I agree with Reg. Also, I think you'd be more likely to see "work of art" rather than "piece of art".
    – Concrete Gannet
    Apr 8, 2012 at 11:33
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    I think it's a question of degree. Even really bad art can be called a "piece of art", but you wouldn't call it a "work of art" unless it was of fine quality, and "masterpiece" would be reserved for the cream of the crop.
    – Darrel Hoffman
    Dec 16, 2013 at 1:59

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