That which is not slightly distorted lacks sensible appeal; from which it follows that irregularity β that is to say, the unexpected, surprise and astonishment, are a essential part and characteristic of beauty.
Charles BaudelaireRead
Beauty is the sole ambition, the exclusive goal of Taste.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The pursuit of beauty is the ultimate aim of artistic taste.
Baudelaire suggests that beauty should be the primary focus and aspiration for those with an appreciation for art and taste. In this view, the creation and appreciation of beauty are intrinsic to the essence of art itself, indicating that taste is inextricably linked to the pursuit of aesthetic perfection.
Themes
BeautyTasteArtAmbitionGoal
In practice
Example use cases
A speech on the importance of aesthetics in modern art.
More from Charles Baudelaire
All quotes βThe dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs.
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Who among us has not dreamt, in moments of ambition, of the miracle of a poetic prose, musical without rhythm and rhyme, supple and staccato enough to adapt to the lyrical stirrings of the soul, the undulations of dreams, and sudden leaps of consciousness.
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There is no sweeter pleasure than to surprise a man by giving him more than he hopes for.
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The priest is an immense being because he makes the crowd believe astonishing things.
Charles BaudelaireRead
I consider it useless and tedious to represent what exists, because nothing that exists satisfies me. Nature is ugly, and I prefer the monsters of my fancy to what is positively trivial.
Charles BaudelaireRead
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