--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Picasso’s eclecticism signifies the…" description: "\"“Picasso’s eclecticism signifies the deliberate destruction of the unity of the personality; his imitations are protests against the cult of originalit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/arnold-hauser-110125_art_picasso-s-eclecticism-signifies-the-deli_1016155.jpg" --- # Picasso’s eclecticism signifies the deliberate destruction… ![“Picasso’s eclecticism signifies the deliberate destruction of the unity of the personality; his imitations are protests against the cult of originality; his deformation of reality, which is always clothing itself in new forms, in order the more forcibly to demonstrate their arbitrariness, is…” quote by Arnold Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/arnold-hauser-110125_art_picasso-s-eclecticism-signifies-the-deli_1016155.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/arnold-hauser-110125_art_picasso-s-eclecticism-signifies-the-deli_1016155.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/arnold-hauser-110125_art_picasso-s-eclecticism-signifies-the-deli_1016155.jpg) > ““Picasso’s eclecticism signifies the deliberate destruction of the unity of the personality; his imitations are protests against the cult of originality; his deformation of reality, which is always clothing itself in new forms, in order the more forcibly to demonstrate their arbitrariness, is intended, above all, to confirm the thesis that ‘nature and art are two entirely dissimilar phenomena’. Picasso turns himself into a conjurer, a juggler, a parodist, out of opposition to the romantic with his ‘inner voice’, his ‘take it or leave it’, his self-esteem and self-worship. And he disavows not only romanticism, but even the Renaissance, which, with its concept of genius and its idea of the unity of work and style, anticipates romanticism to some extent. He represents a complete break with individualism and subjectivism, the absolute denial of art as the expression of an unmistakable personality. His works are notes and commentaries on reality; they make no claim to be regarded as a picture of a world and a totality, as a synthesis and epitome of existence. Picasso compromises the artistic means of expression by his indiscriminate use of the different artistic styles just as thoroughly and wilfully as do the surrealists by their renunciation of traditional forms.”” Arnold Hauser ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Picasso’s eclecticism destroys unified personality, rejecting originality and embracing multiple styles to challenge art’s nature. **In simple terms:** Picasso breaks unity to question art’s nature. Key Takeaway Embrace artistic plurality. Themes Art Eclecticism Originality Romanticism Individualism Subjectivism Deformation Mood thoughtful critical intellectual Type Art:1 Artist:0 Creativity:0 Deformation:0 Expressionism:0 Nature and art:1 Picasso:1 Eclecticism:1 Picasso Eclecticism:0 Phenomena Picasso:0 Picasso Compromises:0 Eclecticism Signifies:0 When to use this quote - Art criticism - Creative practice - Education Key Concepts Philosophy of Art Critique Innovation Questions to Reflect On - How does eclecticism affect artistic identity? - What is the value of rejecting originality? A Different Perspective The analysis is dense and may be inaccessible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Expressionism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expressionism/) [Nature and art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-and-art/) ## Related quotes > [“Information leads to transformation. If you are not inspired by being informed, you will expire by becoming deformed!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/information-leads-to-transformation-if-you-are-not-inspired-by-being/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [There is no escape from yesterday because yesterday has deformed us, or been deformed by us. The mood is of no importance. Deformation has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/there-is-no-escape-from-yesterday-because-yesterday-has-deformed-us/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [In art, as long as you have ideas and think, you are bound to deform nature. Art is deformation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-botero/in-art-as-long-as-you-have-ideas-and-think-you-are-bound-to-deform/) [Fernando Botero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-botero/) > [Rampant eclecticism is my middle name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/rampant-eclecticism-is-my-middle-name/) [Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/) > [Eclecticism is the word. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-meyer/having-done-you-know-science-fiction-i-didn-t-want-to-get-trapped-in/) [Nicholas Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-meyer/) > [Eclecticism is the degree zero of contemporary general culture: one listens to reggae, watches a western, eats McDonald's food for lunch and local cuisine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-francois-lyotard/eclecticism-is-the-degree-zero-of-contemporary-general-culture-one/) [Jean-Francois Lyotard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-francois-lyotard/) > [Schiaparelli, for me, is about eclecticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-zanini/schiaparelli-for-me-is-about-eclecticism/) [Marco Zanini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-zanini/) > [Eclecticism - every truth is so true that any truth must be false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-h-bradley/eclecticism-every-truth-is-so-true-that-any-truth-must-be-false/) [F. H. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-h-bradley/) > [“The human mind is not a dignified organ, and I do not see how we can exercise it sincerely except through eclecticism. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/the-human-mind-is-not-a-dignified-organ-and-i-do-not-see-how-we-can/) [E.M. 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Eclecticism is sometimes treated as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludmilla-jordanova/history-is-inherently-an-eclectic-discipline-and-the-skills-it/) Ludmilla Jordanova > [I went through my adolescence having this revelatory experience - I can have any music I want, and I can get it immediately. 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Picasso turns himself into a conjurer, a juggler, a parodist, out of opposition to the romantic with his ‘inner voice’, his ‘take it or leave it’, his self-esteem and self-worship. And he disavows not only romanticism, but even the Renaissance, which, with its concept of genius and its idea of the unity of work and style, anticipates romanticism to some extent. He represents a complete break with individualism and subjectivism, the absolute denial of art as the expression of an unmistakable personality. His works are notes and commentaries on reality; they make no claim to be regarded as a picture of a world and a totality, as a synthesis and epitome of existence. 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