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Pictures deface walls more often than they decorate them.
William Wordsworth
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote suggests that pictures can detract from the beauty of a space rather than enhance it.

William Wordsworth reflects on the idea that images and photographs, while often meant to beautify a space, can sometimes overwhelm or mar the aesthetic of a wall. This raises a broader discussion about the role of art and decoration in our environments, questioning whether they add true value or instead create visual clutter.

Themes

PicturesArtDecorationBeautyAesthetics

In practice

Example use cases

During a gallery opening, the curator quoted Wordsworth to emphasize the importance of space over clutter.

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For mightier far_x000D_ _x000D_ Than strength of nerve or sinew, or the sway_x000D_ _x000D_ Of magic potent over sun and star,_x000D_ _x000D_ Is love, though oft to agony distrest,_x000D_ _x000D_ And though his favourite be feeble woman's breast.
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Books are yours, Within whose silent chambers treasure lies Preserved from age to age; more precious far Than that accumulated store of gold And orient gems, which, for a day of need, The Sultan hides deep in ancestral tombs. These hoards of truth you can unlock at will.
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The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers: Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon! The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; The winds that will be howling at all hours, And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers; For this, for everything, we are out of tune.
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Shalt show us how divine a thing A woman may be made.
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Quote by William Wordsworth | QuoteProject