QuoteProject
No nude, however abstract, should fail to arouse in the spectator some vestige of erotic feeling, even if it be only the faintest shadow - and if it does not do so it is bad art and false morals.
Kenneth Clark
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Art, particularly nudes, should evoke some level of erotic response in the viewer to be considered impactful.

In this quote, Kenneth Clark argues that the portrayal of nudes in art is fundamentally linked to the viewer's emotional and erotic response. He suggests that if a piece fails to trigger even a minimal sense of eroticism, it is indicative of poor artistic quality and possibly a failure of moral representation, highlighting the intrinsic relationship between art and human feelings.

Themes

ArtNudeEroticAestheticEmotion

In practice

Example use cases

A discussion on the role of nudes in art history during an art class.

More from Kenneth Clark

The recognized achievements of some Negroes, despite rigid racial barriers, indicate that society by its prejudices may be depriving itself of valuable contributions from many others. It is now doubtful whether America can afford the luxury of such a waste of human resources.
Kenneth ClarkRead
Racial prejudices are indication of a disturbed and potentially unstable society.
Kenneth ClarkRead

Similar quotes

I had still the ambition, formed in Sligo in my teens, of living in imitation of Thoreau on Innisfree, a little island in Lough Gill, and when walking through Fleet Street very homesick I heard a little tinkle of water and saw a fountain in a shop window which balanced a little ball upon its jet, and began to remember lake water. From the sudden remembrance came my poem Innisfree.
William Butler YeatsRead
Creativity helps us realize that we don't have to understand everything. We can enjoy something -feel it and use it- without ever fully comprehending it.
Faith RinggoldRead
For my art, there is a common theme most of the time: it is using the things we can see to search for the world we cannot see.
Cai Guo-QiangRead
The Sopranos all came down to the writing. I wouldn't have been on for as long as I was if the writing weren't so good.
James GandolfiniRead
I always like the studio best, once I got the hang of it and the control. I like it because it's complete control
John LennonRead
My mom was an orphan, and there was never anybody to tell her what she could or couldn't do. At the core, she's probably an artist - an artist and a feminist.
Mark BradfordRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.