To be labelled a ‘Work of Art’, a painting, sculpture or other art form should display certain qualities that are unique. However, over the past century there has been a decline in the quality of prize-winning artwork and it is now possible for quite ordinary pieces of art to be labelled ‘masterpieces’ whilst true works of art pass unnoticed.

Do you agree or disagree?

As Leo Tolstoy’s well-known saying about art is “Art is a human activity which has as its purpose the transmission to others the highest and best feelings to which men have risen”, a painting, sculpture or a piece of artwork should cover sheer uniqueness. Yet it is generally assumed that people’taste for art has shifted in the yesteryears and true works of art could be lost through ignorance. Personally, I am partly in favour of this school of thought.

On the one hand, classical art plays an important role in reflecting social issues, and transmit messages. For example, Guernica painted by Piccasso showed his sorrow for the aftermath of the Spanish civil war. The mysterious smile of Mona Lisa, for instance, has been a highly  controversial topic for art historians. On the contrary, modern art could find it hard to describe social problems or suggest humanistic messages. Therefore, the proponents of the belief that there has been a decline in the quality of prizewinning artwork can be right when noticing such a marked difference.

On the other hand, I remain unconvinced of the thought that true works of art pass unnoticed. First of all, classical masterpieces have been conserved and displayed in prominent museums throughout the world. To cite an example, Nympheas painted by Claude Monet exhibited in Marmottan Monet museum has showed art lovers’respect and appreciation of art genuine values. Secondly, young generation still know and study Rennaissance art. Another good example is that some art schools have been opened to assist those who have interest in art in further understanding and drawing paintings originated from the Rennaissance or Baroque style.

In conclusion, there has been a debates on whether or not the appreciation of true “work of art” has been influenced negatively at the present time. From my perspective, I suppose that current art critics have been less strict in evaluating  a price-winning artwork, but I do not think  that  true works of art pass unnoticed.