Perhaps you’ve seen “œuvre” on its own, when it refers to the body of work of a certain artist, musician, or author. With the added “chef,” the French term translates literally as “chief work,” and “chef-d’œuvre” has come to mean an artist’s greatest masterpiece. Art is subjective, of course, but Van Gogh’s chef-d’œuvre might be considered “The Starry Night,” and Maya Angelou’s chef-d’œuvre is “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Even if someone likes another piece of music or writing better, the chef-d’œuvre is the greatest known and most respected piece from the artist.