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
What could be more simple and more complex, more obvious and more profound than a portrait.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A portrait represents both simplicity and complexity in art, revealing deep truths about its subject.
In this quote, Charles Baudelaire highlights the dual nature of portraits, emphasizing that while they appear straightforward as visual representations, they simultaneously encompass profound depths of meaning and emotion. A portrait is not just a mere likeness; it captures the essence of the individual and evokes interpretations that can be both simple and intricate, making it a powerful form of artistic expression.
Themes
PortraitArtComplexitySimplicityExpression
In practice
Example use cases
In an art class discussing the meaning of portraits, this quote by Baudelaire can stimulate conversation about the intricacies of artistic representation.
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.
Charles BaudelaireRead
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.
Charles BaudelaireRead
There is no sweeter pleasure than to surprise a man by giving him more than he hopes for.
Charles BaudelaireRead
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
Similar quotes
Punk was defined by an attitude rather than a musical style.
David ByrneRead
Ah, the creative process is the same secret in science as it is in art. They are all the same absolutely.
Josef AlbersRead
I'm not asking you to describe the rain falling the night the archangel arrived; I'm demanding that you get me wet. Make up your mind, Mr. Writer, and for once in your life be the flower that smells rather than the chronicler of the aroma. There's not much pleasure in writing what you live. The challenge is to live what you write.
Eduardo GaleanoRead
I sense a Threshold: Light to Silence, Silence to Light - an ambiance of inspiration, in which the desire to be, to express, crosses with the possible Light to Silence, Silence to Light crosses in the sanctuary of art.
Louis KahnRead
When you stand on the stage you must have a sense that you are addressing the whole world, and that what you say is so important the whole world must listen.
Stella AdlerRead
Writing! The activity for which the only adequate bribe is the possibility of suicide, one day.
Joyce Carol OatesRead