The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word COMPOSITIONS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
C
O
M
P
O
S
I
T
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O
N
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "works of art" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case works of art = compositions.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does COMPOSITIONS mean?
COMPOSITIONS noun- The act of putting together; assembly.
- A mixture or compound; the result of composing.
- The proportion of different parts to make a whole.
- The general makeup of a thing or person.
- An agreement or treaty used to settle differences; later especially, an agreement to stop hostilities; a truce.
- A payment of money in order to clear a liability or obligation; a settling or fine.
- An agreement or compromise by which a creditor or group of creditors accepts partial payment from a debtor.
- An essay.
- The formation of compound words from separate words.
- A work of music, literature or art.
- Typesetting.
- Applying a function to the result of another.
- The compounding of two velocities or forces into a single equivalent velocity or force.
- Consistency; accord; congruity.
- Synthesis as opposed to analysis.
- The arrangement and flow of elements in a picture.
- Way to combine simple objects or data types into more complex ones.