--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is well known that great art, great…" description: "\"“It is well known that great art, great music and great literature can emerge out of great pain. This does not lessen the reality of the suffering of t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a82/christopher-j-h-wright-2-38478_art_it-is-well-known-that-great-art-great-mu_1971565.jpg" --- # It is well known that great art, great music and great… ![“It is well known that great art, great music and great literature can emerge out of great pain. This does not lessen the reality of the suffering of the artist, composer or writer, but it points to something creative and redemptive in the human person, made in the image of God, which can bring…” quote by Christopher J.H. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a82/christopher-j-h-wright-2-38478_art_it-is-well-known-that-great-art-great-mu_1971565.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a82/christopher-j-h-wright-2-38478_art_it-is-well-known-that-great-art-great-mu_1971565.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a82/christopher-j-h-wright-2-38478_art_it-is-well-known-that-great-art-great-mu_1971565.jpg) > ““It is well known that great art, great music and great literature can emerge out of great pain. This does not lessen the reality of the suffering of the artist, composer or writer, but it points to something creative and redemptive in the human person, made in the image of God, which can bring forth a thing of beauty in the midst of surrounding ugliness, brutality and evil. Nowhere is this more true than in the book of Lamentations.”” [Christopher J.H. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-j-h-wright-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great suffering can inspire profound art, revealing a redemptive creative spark within humanity despite surrounding evil. **In simple terms:** Pain can lead to beautiful, meaningful creations. Key Takeaway Channel suffering into purposeful expression. Themes suffering art redemption faith Mood reflective hopeful Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - grief counseling - art therapy - spiritual reflection - writing workshops Key Concepts creative resilience theodicy beauty from pain Questions to Reflect On - How can we nurture creativity without glorifying suffering? - What role does community play in transforming pain? A Different Perspective Not all pain results in art; some may be overwhelming. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Book Lamentations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-lamentations-1759117/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Great art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-art/) [Great music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-music/) [Lamentations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lamentations-262995/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-artist-1096356/) [Well known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well-known/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Since we seem to have lost the willingness, the vocabulary, or even the capacity, to engage in authentic biblical lament (at least in public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-j-h-wright-2/since-we-seem-to-have-lost-the-willingness-the-vocabulary-or-even-the/) [Christopher J.H. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-j-h-wright-2/) > [“When we connect the death of Christ to the Old Testament, as Paul tells us we should,45 we can see the destruction of Jerusalem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-j-h-wright-2/when-we-connect-the-death-of-christ-to-the-old-testament-as-paul/) [Christopher J.H. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-j-h-wright-2/) > [“So then, we must not read Lamentations without the rest of the Bible. But equally, we should not read the rest of the Bible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-j-h-wright-2/so-then-we-must-not-read-lamentations-without-the-rest-of-the-bible/) [Christopher J.H. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-j-h-wright-2/) > [ A writer or any suffering artist-to-be is just an instrument too finely set to the human condition \[...\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/a-writer-or-any-suffering-artist-to-be-is-just-an-instrument-too/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [I don't have a burning desire to go out and document anything. It just happens when it happens. It's not a conscious effort, nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eggleston/i-don-t-have-a-burning-desire-to-go-out-and-document-anything-it-just/) [William Eggleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eggleston/) > [Kill the idea of the lone, suffering artist. Don't make it any harder on yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/kill-the-idea-of-the-lone-suffering-artist-don-t-make-it-any-harder/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [Great art is as irrational as great music. It is mad with its own loveliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-jean-nathan/great-art-is-as-irrational-as-great-music-it-is-mad-with-its-own/) [George Jean Nathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-jean-nathan/) > [There are tons of people who have made great music, great art, great whatever, but you don't know about them until the people lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharrell-williams/there-are-tons-of-people-who-have-made-great-music-great-art-great/) [Pharrell Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharrell-williams/) > [When we rejoice in beautiful scenery, great art, and great music, it is but the flexing of instincts acquired in another place and another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/when-we-rejoice-in-beautiful-scenery-great-art-and-great-music-it-is/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [Inequality may linger in the world of material things, but great music, great literature, great art and the wonders of science are, and should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/inequality-may-linger-in-the-world-of-material-things-but-great-music/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Today's verse is from Lamentations The Lord's steadfast love never ceases!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/today-s-verse-is-from-lamentations-the-lord-s-steadfast-love-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The songs of the dead are the lamentations of the living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/the-songs-of-the-dead-are-the-lamentations-of-the-living/) [Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/) > [There sighs, lamentations and loud wailings resounded through the starless air, so that at first it made me weep; strange tongues, horrible language, words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/there-sighs-lamentations-and-loud-wailings-resounded-through-the/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [It's a great wonder to me, the Irish attachment to our history. What is it but a series of lamentations?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-salisbury-davis/it-s-a-great-wonder-to-me-the-irish-attachment-to-our-history-what-is/) [Dorothy Salisbury Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-salisbury-davis/) > [“Lament calls us to examine the work of reconciliation between those who live under suffering with those who live in celebration. Lamentations”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/lament-calls-us-to-examine-the-work-of-reconciliation-between-those/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) ## More by Christopher J.H. Wright > [“There is one voice we never hear. God does not speak in the whole book of Lamentations.11 Heaven is silent. Which does not necessarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-j-h-wright-2/there-is-one-voice-we-never-hear-god-does-not-speak-in-the-whole-book/) [Christopher J.H. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-j-h-wright-2/) > [“When we connect the death of Christ to the Old Testament, as Paul tells us we should,45 we can see the destruction of Jerusalem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-j-h-wright-2/when-we-connect-the-death-of-christ-to-the-old-testament-as-paul/) [Christopher J.H. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-j-h-wright-2/) > [“Lament is missional because it keeps the world before God, and it draws God into the world – with the longing that God should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-j-h-wright-2/lament-is-missional-because-it-keeps-the-world-before-god-and-it/) [Christopher J.H. 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Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-j-h-wright-2/) > [“It is surely very ironic and tragic if those who speak most loudly about the gifts of the Spirit are themselves failing to show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-j-h-wright-2/it-is-surely-very-ironic-and-tragic-if-those-who-speak-most-loudly/) [Christopher J.H. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-j-h-wright-2/) > [“Since we seem to have lost the willingness, the vocabulary, or even the capacity, to engage in authentic biblical lament (at least in public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-j-h-wright-2/since-we-seem-to-have-lost-the-willingness-the-vocabulary-or-even-the/) [Christopher J.H. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-j-h-wright-2/) > [“So then, we must not read Lamentations without the rest of the Bible. But equally, we should not read the rest of the Bible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-j-h-wright-2/so-then-we-must-not-read-lamentations-without-the-rest-of-the-bible/) [Christopher J.H. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-j-h-wright-2/) > [“relationship between God and Old Testament Israel. In fact, as Jeremiah and other prophets pointed out, the catastrophe of 587 BC was not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-j-h-wright-2/relationship-between-god-and-old-testament-israel-in-fact-as-jeremiah/) [Christopher J.H. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-j-h-wright-2/) > [“the whole Bible is itself a missional phenomenon. The writings that now comprise our Bible are themselves the product of and witness to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-j-h-wright-2/the-whole-bible-is-itself-a-missional-phenomenon-the-writings-that/) [Christopher J.H. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-j-h-wright-2/) [Explore all 11 Christopher J.H. Wright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-j-h-wright-2/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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. 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