"WHAT DOES A ‘MASTERPIECE’ MEAN? In spite of the fact that ‘masterpiece’ is a battle cry in the argument I have not heard it defined. ‘Masterpiece’ is a comparative term depending on the field to which it is applied. For instance, do we mean the masterpieces of twentieth century art? If so — and speaking of paintings — do we mean ten canvases or fifty or a thousand, or do we mean masterpieces of the fifty best American artists, or of the ten best living painters, or of 200 young American artists who have not yet become famous? By ‘masterpiece’ do we mean a big work or may it include the finest works in watercolor, etching, etc.?" Notes on Museum Collection Policy. 1944. Alfred H. Barr Jr.