--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Art is not a mirror held up to society…" description: "\"“Art is not a mirror held up to society but a hammer with which to shape it.”\" — Bertolt Brecht" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/bertolt-brecht-1065_art_art-is-not-a-mirror-held-up-to-society-b_334077.jpg" --- # Art is not a mirror held up to society but a hammer with… ![“Art is not a mirror held up to society but a hammer with which to shape it.” quote by Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/bertolt-brecht-1065_art_art-is-not-a-mirror-held-up-to-society-b_334077.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/bertolt-brecht-1065_art_art-is-not-a-mirror-held-up-to-society-b_334077.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/bertolt-brecht-1065_art_art-is-not-a-mirror-held-up-to-society-b_334077.jpg) > ““Art is not a mirror held up to society but a hammer with which to shape it.”” [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art should not merely reflect society but actively shape and transform it, acting as a tool for change. **In simple terms:** Art is a tool for societal change. Key Takeaway Use creativity to influence the world. Themes art politics social change Mood provocative determined Type philosophical activist When to use this quote - public murals - protest songs - community workshops - media campaigns Key Concepts critical theory activist art Questions to Reflect On - How can art provoke real-world action? - What responsibilities do artists have to society? A Different Perspective Artistic impact can be limited by audience reception. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ## Related quotes > [Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/art-is-not-a-mirror-held-up-to-reality-but-a-hammer-with-which-to/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [“Art is not a mirror to hold up to reality, rather a hammer to shape it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/art-is-not-a-mirror-to-hold-up-to-reality-rather-a-hammer-to-shape-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Shakespeare said that art is a mirror held up to nature. And that’s what it is. The nature is your nature, and all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/shakespeare-said-that-art-is-a-mirror-held-up-to-nature-and-that-s-2/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [“Shakespeare said that art is a mirror held up to nature. And that’s what it is. The nature is your nature, and all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/shakespeare-said-that-art-is-a-mirror-held-up-to-nature-and-that-s/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [Art is not a mirror. Art is a hammer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/art-is-not-a-mirror-art-is-a-hammer/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [“Art Is Not A Mirror - It Is A Hammer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/art-is-not-a-mirror-it-is-a-hammer/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [Art is not a mirror but a hammer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/art-is-not-a-mirror-but-a-hammer/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [All I've ever wanted to do was be a great dad, and yet there's no stopping this existential mirror that's held up to yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/all-i-ve-ever-wanted-to-do-was-be-a-great-dad-and-yet-there-s-no/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [True love brings up everything - you're allowing a mirror to be held up to you daily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/true-love-brings-up-everything-you-re-allowing-a-mirror-to-be-held-up/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [I've never found therapy to be a sign of weakness; I've found the opposite to be true. The willingness to have a mirror held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-shields/i-ve-never-found-therapy-to-be-a-sign-of-weakness-i-ve-found-the/) [Brooke Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-shields/) > [When I was little, I looked in the mirror and held the Bible in my hand - that's how I talked to God. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-arenas/when-i-was-little-i-looked-in-the-mirror-and-held-the-bible-in-my/) [Gilbert Arenas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-arenas/) > [And here's the surprising truth: As you gaze at yourself in the mirror held by another, you will see far more than your flaws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/and-here-s-the-surprising-truth-as-you-gaze-at-yourself-in-the-mirror/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [“It was the most natural thing in the world because from out of his mouth were coming most of the things I felt. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/it-was-the-most-natural-thing-in-the-world-because-from-out-of-his/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [Every piece of art is a mirror and serves the function of reflectivity to expose to you and reveal to you more of who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-anka/every-piece-of-art-is-a-mirror-and-serves-the-function-of/) [Darryl Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-anka/) > [I feel like every piece of art is a mirror of what's going on in the present time, because the artist - a painter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-martin/i-feel-like-every-piece-of-art-is-a-mirror-of-what-s-going-on-in-the/) [Stacy Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-martin/) ## More by Bertolt Brecht > [Their peace and their war Are like wind and storm. War grows from their peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/their-peace-and-their-war-are-like-wind-and-storm-war-grows-from/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Boy Meets Girl, So What?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/boy-meets-girl-so-what/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Some party hack decreed that the people had lost the government's confidence and could only regain it with redoubled effort. If that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/some-party-hack-decreed-that-the-people-had-lost-the-government-s/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/art-is-not-a-mirror-held-up-to-reality-but-a-hammer-with-which-to/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [People remain what they are even if their faces fall apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/people-remain-what-they-are-even-if-their-faces-fall-apart/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Go make yourself a plan And be a shining light. Then make yourself a second plan, For neither will come right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/go-make-yourself-a-plan-and-be-a-shining-light-then-make-yourself-a/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Fearful is the seductive power of goodness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/fearful-is-the-seductive-power-of-goodness/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Hungry man, reach for the book: it is a weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/hungry-man-reach-for-the-book-it-is-a-weapon/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [There are some with brains and some without. It makes for a better division of labour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/there-are-some-with-brains-and-some-without-it-makes-for-a-better/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [“When the sharks the sharks devour Little fishes have their hour.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/when-the-sharks-the-sharks-devour-little-fishes-have-their-hour/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [“In my poetry a rhyme Would seem to me almost insolent. Inside me contend Delight at the apple tree in blossom And horror at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/in-my-poetry-a-rhyme-would-seem-to-me-almost-insolent-inside-me/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [“The law was made for one thing alone,for the exploitation of those who don't understand it, or are prevented by naked misery from obeying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/the-law-was-made-for-one-thing-alone-for-the-exploitation-of-those/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [From the start it has been the theatre's business to entertain people ... it needs no other passport than fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/from-the-start-it-has-been-the-theatre-s-business-to-entertain-people/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Whenever there are great virtues, it's a sure sign something's wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/whenever-there-are-great-virtues-it-s-a-sure-sign-something-s-wrong/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [First feed the face, then talk right and wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/first-feed-the-face-then-talk-right-and-wrong/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) [Explore all 260 Bertolt Brecht quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Art is not a mirror held up to society but a hammer with which to shape it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bertolt Brecht" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/art-is-not-a-mirror-held-up-to-society-but-a-hammer-with-which-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/art-is-not-a-mirror-held-up-to-society-but-a-hammer-with-which-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/bertolt-brecht-1065_art_art-is-not-a-mirror-held-up-to-society-b_334077.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/bertolt-brecht-1065_art_art-is-not-a-mirror-held-up-to-society-b_334077.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/bertolt-brecht-1065_art_art-is-not-a-mirror-held-up-to-society-b_334077.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Art is not a mirror held up to society but a hammer with which to shape it.” — Bertolt Brecht", "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": "Bertolt Brecht", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Art is not a mirror held...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/art-is-not-a-mirror-held-up-to-society-but-a-hammer-with-which-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/art-is-not-a-mirror-held-up-to-society-but-a-hammer-with-which-to/#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 } } ] } ```