Thoughtful Vocabulary: Masterpiece

There’s a cliche in speech writing that goes, “The word_______ has been thrown around a lot these days…” Then the speaker goes on to give what they consider a real example of _______. It’s tempting to avoid cliches, but as one of my favorite authors once wrote, “The reason that clichés become clichés is that they are the hammers and screwdrivers in the toolbox of communication.”

So, anyway. The word “masterpiece” gets thrown around a lot these days.

And before you even think it, this is not going to be a rant about how everyone is using the word wrong. I am not going to complain about what people have described as masterpieces and shake my head at the end of language as we know it. Words evolve. Meanings change. I’m over it.

But what makes “masterpiece” such an interesting word is that its meaning is far more negotiable than people might think. The original intention of the word (or phrase when we considered it two words) is informed by the European guild system for craftsmen. You started as an apprentice, learning from more experienced specialists (masons, painters, sculptors, carvers, confectioners, blacksmiths, Dark Souls bosses, etc.) Then, once you proved your mettle, you became a journeyman. You could travel and ply your work wherever you went. But to become a master, you needed to submit a work (sometimes called a magnum opus, “great work” in Latin) showing that you had mastered your craft to a guild of other masters and have them agree that you had achieved not just skill, but expertise in your field. You didn’t have to be the greatest of all time. You just needed to show that you knew your craft well enough to be acknowledged by the best around.

That’s how it worked in theory, anyway. I’m sure that just like today, richer people just handed in a scribbled stick figure and a bunch of money and enjoyed being a master painter for the rest of their lives.

So while some are going to turn up their nose at Marvel movies being called “masterpieces,” I think that the case could be made, provided we’re clear on what craft or medium we’re talking about. If we say film in general, with all the techniques and skills accumulated since the Lumiere brothers started moving pictures, then no, Thor Ragnarok probably isn’t a masterpiece. But if you’re thinking about super hero films specifically, or inter-connected super hero films, or high budget sci-fi comedies, then I’m pretty sure most other directors and writers would say, “hell yeah, Director Taika Waititi mastered the hell out of this stuff.”

You heard it here: you’re looking at two masterpieces.

Let’s be honest, the term was always subjective. But I think this way of looking at the concept is helpful by giving us freedom and context. No Guardian of the Masterpieces will seek vengeance on you for saying your favorite K-Pop album is a masterpiece, but it’s also worth thinking: is this album showing real expertise in the genre, or do I just enjoy it? And either way is fine. But thinking critically about the art that we love gives us room to re-examine and re-live it.

…And if you happened to think this was a Masterpiece Blog Post, you know, who am I to argue?