The putti of The Sistine Madonna , famous detail, by Raphaël.

A detail is an isolated element within a work, especially in the visual arts and literature. Being part of the general composition of the work of art, it can stimulate a subsequent development in criticism or analysis. The detail can have an unsuspected importance, for example, symbolic. Certain details are thus considered to be particularly remarkable in the light of cultural history, for example, the smile of La Mona Lisa in painting.