Cryptic crossword clue
Work of art futile ultimately — no good, mad 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word ENGRAVING

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
E
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R
A
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Work of ar" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case work of ar = engraving.
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 ENGRAVING mean?

ENGRAVING verb
  1. To carve text or symbols into (something), usually for the purposes of identification or art.
  2. To carve (something) into a material.
ENGRAVING verb
  1. To put in a grave, to bury.
ENGRAVING noun
  1. The practice of incising a design onto a hard, flat surface, by cutting grooves into it.
  2. The art of producing an image from an engraved printing form, typically made of copper.
  3. A print produced from an engraving.
  4. The art of drawing music notation at high quality, particularly on a computer.

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