In this course, students will spend the semester looking at great works of art in New York City museums and asking, What is a Masterpiece? How has the idea of "masterpiece" changed over time? We will examine works of art from a broad range of time periods in their historical context, and will ask larger questions about art collecting and what gives cultural and monetary value to works of art. The course will consist of five thematic units: What is a Masterpiece?; Attribution: The Name of the Master; Art and Power: Spiritual and Cultural Meaning; Display; and Value: Taste, Aesthetics, Rarity, Money. Each unit will include classroom lectures and discussions of readings, as well as class meetings in museums around New York City.