Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Brion, Katherine

Area of Concentration

Art History

Abstract

This paper explores the role of masterpieces as a means of communicating power and authority. Many of the well-known masterpieces today were once commissioned by the privileged to celebrate their status, power, wealth, and beauty, ultimately pushing the victorious narrative of European settlers and in doing so excluding other narratives from the art history canon. Artists offered these commissions were often associated with the art academies and worked diligently to create effective propaganda for their commissioners. Drawing on evidence from scholarship on the academies, artist biographies, artist statements, and artworks made in the 21st century, this study demonstrates that contemporary artists from underrepresented communities are utilizing the masterpiece to create connections between diverse audiences, create visual representation, and regain control over their cultural narratives, giving the term masterpiece new, contemporary relevance. It argues for the importance of uplifting underrepresented voices that question who has been deemed most valuable in society. These concerns are most evident in the artists’ desire to revisit the European masterpiece to create representation for their communities to reclaim their narratives or construct new ones.

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