noun
oeuvre
UR-vruh/ˈɜːvrə/
The complete body of work produced by an artist or writer.
The studio display spans the artist’s oeuvre across several decades.
Etymology
The underlying idea is “work”: in this sense, an artist’s individual creations are treated collectively as one body of work. Opera shares the same Latin ancestor.
In context
the oeuvre of the three authors I have quoted from
More examples
- That theme recurs throughout her oeuvre.
- Critics reassessed the composer’s early oeuvre.
- His small but influential oeuvre includes novels and essays.
Forms
oeuvre · oeuvres
Similar words
- body of work
- Body of work is the ordinary equivalent; oeuvre is common in art and literary criticism.
- portfolio
- A portfolio may contain selected works; an oeuvre encompasses the full body.