---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One must be entirely sensitive to the…"
description: "\"One must be entirely sensitive to the structure of the material that one is handling. One must yield to it in tiny details of execution, perhaps the ha..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/barbara-hepworth-24891_details_one-must-be-entirely-sensitive-to-the-st_134697.png"
---

#  One must be entirely sensitive to the structure of the…

![“One must be entirely sensitive to the structure of the material that one is handling. One must yield to it in tiny details of execution, perhaps the handling of the surface or grain, and one must master it as a whole.” quote by Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/barbara-hepworth-24891_details_one-must-be-entirely-sensitive-to-the-st_134697.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/barbara-hepworth-24891_details_one-must-be-entirely-sensitive-to-the-st_134697.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/barbara-hepworth-24891_details_one-must-be-entirely-sensitive-to-the-st_134697.png)

> “One must be entirely sensitive to the structure of the material that one is handling. One must yield to it in tiny details of execution, perhaps the handling of the surface or grain, and one must master it as a whole.”

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Understanding a material’s structure requires sensitivity to its details and mastering its whole form.

**In simple terms:** Master material by sensing details and whole.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate sensitivity to both parts and whole in any craft.

Themes

craftsmanship material sensitivity detail mastery

Mood

thoughtful inspirational

Type

artistic practical

When to use this quote

- woodworking
- sculpture
- software development
- culinary arts

Key Concepts

Design thinking holistic approach artistic technique

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance detail with overall vision?
- What material challenges you most?

A Different Perspective

Focusing only on details can miss the bigger picture.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Execution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/execution/) [Grain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grain/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/)

## Related quotes

> [Most people give Kennedy a passing grade, a good grade on the Cuban Missile Crisis handling, but what they don't realize, if he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-gohmert/most-people-give-kennedy-a-passing-grade-a-good-grade-on-the-cuban/)

[Louie Gohmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-gohmert/)

> [I'm still at the end of my rope because I find myself not handling things well when I travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-lewis/i-m-still-at-the-end-of-my-rope-because-i-find-myself-not-handling/)

[Stephen Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-lewis/)

> [“Women are better than men in handling their emotions, that is why every happy girl is not happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/women-are-better-than-men-in-handling-their-emotions-that-is-why/)

[M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/)

> [Most of us have jobs that require some handling of other peoples' feelings and our own, and in that sense, we are all partly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/most-of-us-have-jobs-that-require-some-handling-of-other-peoples/)

[Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/)

> [The handling of a problem seems to be simply the increase of ability to confront the problem and when the problem can be totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/the-handling-of-a-problem-seems-to-be-simply-the-increase-of-ability/)

[L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/)

> [We don't have real control over death. You could die of a heart attack, a building could fall on you, you could be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/we-don-t-have-real-control-over-death-you-could-die-of-a-heart-attack/)

[Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/)

> [It was the view of the people in the Department of State that the handling of Yemen affairs from Aden was too much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-eilts/it-was-the-view-of-the-people-in-the-department-of-state-that-the/)

Hermann Eilts

> [I've always been good at handling stuff mentally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-rice/i-ve-always-been-good-at-handling-stuff-mentally/)

[Declan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-rice/)

> [If we were handling a bomb which could go off at any minute as a result of our actions, we would mind ourselves and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yehuda-berg/if-we-were-handling-a-bomb-which-could-go-off-at-any-minute-as-a/)

[Yehuda Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yehuda-berg/)

> [Liberal democracy has endured because its institutions are designed for handling morally hazardous forms of coercive power. It puts the question of how far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/liberal-democracy-has-endured-because-its-institutions-are-designed/)

[Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/)

> [The Manhattan district attorney has closed the well-publicized investigation of the handling of the $300 million fortune of reclusive heiress Huguette Clark - without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/the-manhattan-district-attorney-has-closed-the-well-publicized/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [I don't want to be any kind of producer at all - hands-on or otherwise! I feel producing is a very difficult job and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kajol/i-don-t-want-to-be-any-kind-of-producer-at-all-hands-on-or-otherwise/)

[Kajol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kajol/)

> [The key to handling pressure is to enjoy it when you're confronted with it rather than worry about it too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-waugh/the-key-to-handling-pressure-is-to-enjoy-it-when-you-re-confronted/)

[Steve Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-waugh/)

> [“Depression is a Virus, handling it Once, Builds Your Immunity to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vineet-raj-kapoor/depression-is-a-virus-handling-it-once-builds-your-immunity-to-it/)

[Vineet Raj Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vineet-raj-kapoor/)

> [Pilots enjoy the fun and challenge of handling the fancy machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-greenspun/pilots-enjoy-the-fun-and-challenge-of-handling-the-fancy-machine/)

[Philip Greenspun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-greenspun/)

## More by Barbara Hepworth

> [I rarely draw what I see. I draw what I feel in my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/i-rarely-draw-what-i-see-i-draw-what-i-feel-in-my-body/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

> [I am the form and I am the hollow, the thrust and the contour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/i-am-the-form-and-i-am-the-hollow-the-thrust-and-the-contour/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

> [The naturalness of life... the sense of community is, I think, a very important factor in an artist's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/the-naturalness-of-life-the-sense-of-community-is-i-think-a-very/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

> [Before I start carving the idea must be almost complete. I say 'almost' because the really important thing seems to be the sculptor's ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/before-i-start-carving-the-idea-must-be-almost-complete-i-say-almost/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

> [I felt the most intense pleasure in piercing the stone in order to make an abstract form and space; quite a different sensation from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/i-felt-the-most-intense-pleasure-in-piercing-the-stone-in-order-to/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

> [Body experience... is the centre of creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/body-experience-is-the-centre-of-creation/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

> [The United Nations is our conscience. If it succeeds it is our success. If it fails it is our failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/the-united-nations-is-our-conscience-if-it-succeeds-it-is-our-success/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

> [“My left hand is my thinking hand (image), my right hand my doing hand (sequence).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/my-left-hand-is-my-thinking-hand-image-my-right-hand-my-doing-hand/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

> [All my early memories are of forms and shapes and textures. Moving through and over the West Riding landscape with my father in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/all-my-early-memories-are-of-forms-and-shapes-and-textures-moving/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

> [I found one had to do some work every day, even at midnight, because either you're professional or you're not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/i-found-one-had-to-do-some-work-every-day-even-at-midnight-because/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

> [My works are an imitation of my own past and present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/my-works-are-an-imitation-of-my-own-past-and-present/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

> [ \[My works are\] an imitation of my own past and present and of my own creative vitality as I experience them in one particular… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/my-works-are-an-imitation-of-my-own-past-and-present-and-of-my-own/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

> [It is easy now to communicate with people through abstraction, and particularly so in sculpture. Since the whole body reacts to its presence, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/it-is-easy-now-to-communicate-with-people-through-abstraction-and/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

> [The sculptor must search with passionate intensity for the underlying principle of the organisation of mass and tension - the meaning of gesture and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/the-sculptor-must-search-with-passionate-intensity-for-the-underlying/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

> [At no point do I wish to be in conflict with any man or masculine thought. It doesn't enter my consciousness. Art is anonymous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/at-no-point-do-i-wish-to-be-in-conflict-with-any-man-or-masculine/)

[Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

[Explore all 23 Barbara Hepworth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/)

## More Details quotes

> [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. This is a complete telling of the story, 'Food.' The basic plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/things-live-and-die-and-then-someone-processes-them-into-edible/)

[David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/)

> [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/)

[Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/)

> [The more I trust you, the less details I need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-more-i-trust-you-the-less-details-i-need/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When my main character in 'Heat' climbs the tower, the highest diving platform, hoping to resume competitive diving after an injury, I am there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cadnum/when-my-main-character-in-heat-climbs-the-tower-the-highest-diving/)

[Michael Cadnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cadnum/)

> [The first track is the end of a string. At the far end, a being is moving; a mystery, dropping a hint about itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brown-jr/the-first-track-is-the-end-of-a-string-at-the-far-end-a-being-is/)

[Tom Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brown-jr/)

> [No matter what. Wherever your mind wanders, it seems to turn up at the same Field of Dreams. It's the vision you wake up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/no-matter-what-wherever-your-mind-wanders-it-seems-to-turn-up-at-the/)

[James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/)

> [Our thoughts are either focused on what's eternal, life-changing, and true, or lost in the details of our temporary, selfish, false beliefs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/our-thoughts-are-either-focused-on-what-s-eternal-life-changing-and/)

[Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/)

> [Just because someone thinks they remember something in detail, with confidence and with emotion, does not mean that it actually happened, .. False memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-loftus/just-because-someone-thinks-they-remember-something-in-detail-with/)

[Elizabeth Loftus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-loftus/)

> [The Science Delusion is the belief that science already understands the nature of reality in principle leaving only the details to be filled in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-sheldrake/the-science-delusion-is-the-belief-that-science-already-understands/)

[Rupert Sheldrake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-sheldrake/)

> [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/)

[John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/)

> [It takes a little more time to get into the role, but not very much more. In making a record you don't have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-callas/it-takes-a-little-more-time-to-get-into-the-role-but-not-very-much/)

[Maria Callas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-callas/)

> [We're still working out the details, but I'd be delighted to do the film. The problem at the moment is my busy schedule. Shooting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhang-ziyi/we-re-still-working-out-the-details-but-i-d-be-delighted-to-do-the/)

[Zhang Ziyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhang-ziyi/)

> [What is needed, however, isn't just that people working together be nice to each other. It is discipline. Discipline is hard--harder than trustworthiness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/what-is-needed-however-isn-t-just-that-people-working-together-be/)

[Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/)

> [I get worked up over an 'idea' or the ethos of an idea. I follow dreams, take notes on travels, and engage in research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-waldman/i-get-worked-up-over-an-idea-or-the-ethos-of-an-idea-i-follow-dreams/)

[Anne Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-waldman/)

> [We don't always know the details of our future. We do not know what lies ahead. We live in a time of uncertainty. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/we-don-t-always-know-the-details-of-our-future-we-do-not-know-what/)

[Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/)

Browse all 2,442 Details quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "One must be entirely sensitive to the structure of the material that one is handling. One must yield to it in tiny details of execution, perhaps the handling of the surface or grain, and one must master it as a whole.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Barbara Hepworth"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/one-must-be-entirely-sensitive-to-the-structure-of-the-material-that/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Details"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/one-must-be-entirely-sensitive-to-the-structure-of-the-material-that/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/barbara-hepworth-24891_details_one-must-be-entirely-sensitive-to-the-st_134697.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/barbara-hepworth-24891_details_one-must-be-entirely-sensitive-to-the-st_134697.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/barbara-hepworth-24891_details_one-must-be-entirely-sensitive-to-the-st_134697.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“One must be entirely sensitive to the structure of the material that one is handling. One must yield to it…” — Barbara Hepworth",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Barbara Hepworth",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "One must be entirely sensitive to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/one-must-be-entirely-sensitive-to-the-structure-of-the-material-that/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/one-must-be-entirely-sensitive-to-the-structure-of-the-material-that/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
