Masterpieces/masterstrokes

Art historian Frank Reijnders offers a critical examination of the masterpiece, taking specific artworks as the point of departure for a number of theoretical considerations. Today, most people think of the masterpiece as being old art in large museums, or of huge, crowded exhibitions displaying the work of famous "masters". For contemporary artists, it seems the masterpiece no longer has any meaning, dismissed as a somewhat comical, outmoded term inescapably intertwined with the art market and publicity. Regardless, certain works have succeeded in placing themselves outside time, having retained their inspiration and relevance. Reijnders investigates why this is the case.