A masterpiece, magnum opus, or chef-d'œuvre in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship.
Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam (c. 1512), part of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, is considered an archetypal masterpiece of painting.
In painting, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa (c. 1503–06) is considered an archetypal masterpiece, although it was not produced for admission to a guild or academy.
Things Fall Apart by Igbo author Chinua Achebe is often considered a literary masterpiece, and one of the greatest works of Nigerian literature.
Federico Zuccari, Two Painter's Apprentices, 1609. They would have to produce a masterpiece to become masters at the end of their apprenticeships.
Historically, a master craftsman or master tradesman was a member of a guild. The title survives as the highest professional qualification in craft industries.
Craftsman Selling Cases by a Teak Wood Building Ahmedabad, by Edwin Lord Weeks
Master craftsman certificate – Handwerkskammer Dresden – July 7, 1958
A master discusses a vacuum compressor with his apprentice boy and several other craftsmen.
