œuvre d'art
/œ.vʁə d‿aʁ/feminine
In French, the term for artwork is œuvre d'art. Wiktionary also lists œuvre.
Meaning: painting, drawing, sculpture or other piece of creative, visual art (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| œuvre d'art | /œ.vʁə d‿aʁ/ | feminine |
| œuvre | /œvʁ/ | feminine |
The term refers to a painting, drawing, sculpture or other piece of creative, visual art. You can also use the expression création artistique to describe an artwork in a formal context.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase œuvre d'art literally translates to 'work of art'.
Which one should you use?
While œuvre d'art specifically refers to visual art, the standalone œuvre can refer to the entire body of work of an artist or a literary work.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun œuvre is feminine, so it takes the feminine article une œuvre. The plural form of 'œuvre d'art' is œuvres d'art.
How do you pronounce it?
/œ.vʁə d‿aʁ/
Did you know?
- The word œuvre shares the same Latin ancestor as the English word 'opera', meaning 'works' or 'labours'.
- The word œuvre is also used in religious contexts to describe 'good works' or charitable acts, far removed from the world of museums and galleries.
- The term chef-d'œuvre is used to describe a 'masterpiece', literally translating to 'chief of work'.
Examples in context
- Tom a demandé à Mary de lui montrer quelques-unes de ses œuvres.Tom asked Mary to show him some of her artwork.This sentence shows how to use the plural form œuvre to refer to an artist's works.Tatoeba #8165895 by Gaeiie, translation #2743019 by CK
- Le Louvre abrite de nombreuses œuvres d'art de renommée mondiale.The Louvre houses many world-renowned artworks.
- La création artistique de cette époque est véritablement fascinante.The artwork from that era is truly fascinating.
- J'ai récemment acheté un beau tableau pour décorer mon salon.I recently bought a beautiful artwork to decorate my living room.
- Son dessin est incroyablement détaillé et expressif.His artwork is incredibly detailed and expressive.
- Cette œuvre d'art est vraiment magnifique.This artwork is truly magnificent.
- Le musée expose une œuvre d'art moderne.The museum is exhibiting a piece of modern art.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are visiting an art gallery.
- ChloéRegarde cette œuvre d'art, Lucas.Look at this artwork, Lucas.
- LucasElle est très impressionnante.It is very impressive.
- ChloéL'artiste est talentueuse.The artist is talented.
- LucasJe suis d'accord avec toi.I agree with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “artwork” translations and entries œuvre d'art, œuvre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries œuvre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
