PUBLIC LECTURE – What Makes a (Contemporary) Masterpiece?

About the conference

As part of our partnership with Beaux-Arts Magazine, we are hosting a series of public art history lectures from June to December 2025, exploring major themes in the history of art.
Each session will feature a guest specialist alongside an expert member of the SNA, offering complementary perspectives and highlighting the expertise behind the objects and professions we represent.

From the great masterpieces of the past to the most innovative creations of today, this lecture explores how our understanding of artistic excellence has evolved over time.

Conference Programme

Speaker: Géraldine Bretault

Introduction by Alexis Lartigue, member of the SNA Board of Directors

After recalling what the notion of a masterpiece encompasses in the history of Western art, we will look at how this concept has evolved since the beginning of the 20th century, a period marked by the emergence of unprecedented art forms.

From Ready Made to installation, from conceptual art to performance, what are contemporary masterpieces and how can they be recognised? Are masterpieces eternal?

© Sotheby's – detail from: Banksy, Girl With Balloon, 2006