QuoteProject
The object of art is not to make salable pictures. It is to save yourself.
Sherwood Anderson
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Art serves as a means of self-rediscovery rather than a mere commercial endeavor.

This quote emphasizes the intrinsic value of creating art, suggesting that the primary purpose of artistic expression is personal salvation and self-exploration rather than the pursuit of profit. Sherwood Anderson implies that through art, individuals can connect with their true selves, find meaning, and express their inner experiences, transcending the constraints of market demands.

Themes

ArtSelf-DiscoveryExpressionCreativityPurpose

In practice

Example use cases

Discussing the purpose of art in a classroom setting.

More from Sherwood Anderson

I feel that I am writing out of a full life. I am a rich man, rich in men known, in adventures had. I am rich with living.
Sherwood AndersonRead
It was a cold day but the sun was out and the trees were like great bonfires against gray distant fields and hills.
Sherwood AndersonRead

Similar quotes

The musician is perhaps the most modest of animals, but he is also the proudest. It is he who invented the sublime art of ruining poetry.
Erik SatieRead
I didn't want to make cinema so a person forgets himself and has a lot of fun. 'I forget myself, I am a little poor consumer.' I wanted to make a picture where someone who sees it say, 'This is me! This is me!'
Alejandro JodorowskyRead
That's what's great about the horror genre is that you're getting a load of people together in the cinema at the same place and the same time, having them all experience extreme fear and come out alive at the end. It's an uplifting experience, and there's a sense of elation.
Wes CravenRead
A person who's only suffering can't write a poem. There are choices to be made, and you need to be objective.
Edward HirschRead
I'm not a classical player. I don't want to be a classical player. I love to improvise, because things happen that never happen anywhere else.
John MclaughlinRead
I've never seen the devil create music.
Little RichardRead

A little wisdom, now and then

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