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? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Some people suggest that the levels of artwork have been in a state of steady decline since the turn of the previous century. They argue that mundane pieces are considered extraordinary while awe inspiring items remain in complete obscurity. I tend to agree with the statement above. If history taught us anything, it is that the talent of genuine prodigies and geniuses is mostly celebrated and revered postmortem. It is assumed that their work is so revolutionary that it cannot be appreciated by common folks. Looking at artists like Picasso and Michelangelo

for example

, even though they did not receive any accolades during their lifetime, their creations will still be looked at with admiration for hundreds of years.

Furthermore

, in an era dominated by social media, it is easy to see how and why a popular figure is being glorified while other, more talented artists is being discarded. Public relations, appearance and popularity seem to deflect our attention as we crown individuals based on the number of Instagram followers and not raw talent.

Moreover

, the

last

sublime artist the earth had witnessed is probably Salvador Dali, who passed away more than a hundred years ago.

Therefore

, it seems rather logical to state that the level of our artists is in free-fall. In conclusion, as we have seen in the past, full comprehension of the magnitude of art work takes time, sometimes even centuries. Perhaps geniuses are so far ahead of their time that their masterpieces can only be seen as

such

in retrospect.

Hence

, while I agree that the level of our artwork is supposedly declining, I am full of belief that future generations will be able to enjoy the fruits of the labour of the contemporary genius, yet to be revealed.