Awwwww... well that is just the loveliest comment; and made me smile lots and lots.
While I do think longevity is one way of registering continued respect, the MCU hasn't even come close to the time period needed to measure that. But even longevity isn't necessarily a good way to measure it.
Mrs Miniver (1942) is still a masterpiece, even if far more people watch
White Christmas (1942) (Cf. more longevity). BUT... see my point about longevity below...
Art "is" subjective in the grander "what is art, really?" debate... but there are certain ways we can (by and large) dissect whether something has
artistic merit. That is a less subjective, more critical analysis. Remember there is a difference between
"Twilight is my favourite film ever" and
"Twilight is the best film ever made." One is pure opinion that's valid, the other is bringing into the scenario a large criteria than just "my opinion."
I will say I never truly registered the power of David until I saw it in person in Florence. It is... magnificent... and the ass is still AMAZING (side note)! I had the same feeling seeing the Venus de Milo in Paris; it's commanding. But -- to be fair -- seeing the Mona Lisa... meh. And I think there is merit in the longevity arguement when we are talking hundreds of years. If something has lasted, and constantly been referenced as "one of the greats" for hundreds of years... maybe longevity does count? It is a fascinating thing, to define what is greatness. I don't know many statues that have become so ingrained in popular culture as David and Venus. AND EVEN THEN... Venus is acclaimed not necessary due to the work of the artist (though excellent) but because of her missing arms. Which was an accident. Where as David... David stands as he was intended, and everything about it was planned. Oh, it's glorious. I cannot agree that it's "meh". The craftmanship alone is a masterpiece.
I'm not sure you're using the word correctly. It's not artistry but money that brought the MCU together. There is no single figurehead who's guiding the vision. And even then, it's not about art. There is no more artistry in creating the MCU as there is in founding Virgin Trains or McDonalds. Vision, yes. Artistry? No. There is artistry in the designers, of course (to a degree, as the comics had laid A LOT of that groundwork). There is artistry in... quite a lot of the performances (RDJ, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Holland, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo); but that's due to the calibre of the actors, rather than the MCU -- or even directors -- having much of a hand in it. There is artistry in the score, that is true. In the editing. In the fight choreography (for the most part). But there is not artistry in the MCU itself. This discussion keep reminding me of that wonderful quote from
Working Girl (1988) “Sometimes I sing and dance around the house in my underwear. Doesn't make me Madonna. Never will.”