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artwork

C2
Common

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ˈɑːtwɜːk/

US

  • /ˈɑrtˌwɜrk/

Meanings

Noun

  1. a painting, sculpture, drawing, or other piece of visual art

  2. illustrations, graphics, or other visual design material prepared for publication or display

Beyond the definition

Artwork isn't just paintings hanging in museums! It's any creative product made with imagination and skill – from a delicate sculpture to a bold street mural, a haunting photograph to an intricately woven tapestry. Think of it as a visible echo of someone's thoughts, feelings, or observations. You might admire the artwork of Michelangelo, but you can also appreciate the artwork in a beautiful website design or the illustrations in a graphic novel.

Artwork can be functional – like pottery or furniture – or purely aesthetic, meant to be enjoyed for its beauty alone. It's often deeply personal to the artist and invites viewers to interpret it in their own way. A child's crayon drawing is artwork just as much as a Renaissance masterpiece! The context of "artwork" usually implies some level of artistic intention and skill.

Examples

  1. 1

    Gallery display

    The gallery is showing artwork by local artists all month.

  2. 2

    Children's work

    The walls were covered with children's artwork.

  3. 3

    Visual appeal

    The story is simple, but the artwork is beautiful.

  4. 4

    Book cover

    We still need the final artwork for the book cover.

    • Patternartwork for + project/product

      the images or design prepared for it

More examples
  1. 5

    Printing process

    Please email the artwork by Thursday so the printer can check it.

  2. 6

    Original pieces

    Most of the original artwork was damaged during shipping.

See also

Similar

  • work of art
  • art piece

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Used with (collocations)

  • original artwork
  • digital artwork
  • commissioned artwork
  • display artwork

Word family

Explore

Forms and spellings

2 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • artworknoun

Forms

  • artworkspluralnoun