--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All art is propaganda. ... The only…" description: "\"All art is propaganda. ... The only difference is the kind of propaganda. Since art is essential for human life, it can't just belong to the few. Art i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d4/diego-rivera-19217_art_all-art-is-propaganda-the-only-differenc_1677110.png" --- # All art is propaganda. ... The only difference is the kind… ![“All art is propaganda. ... The only difference is the kind of propaganda. Since art is essential for human life, it can't just belong to the few. Art is the universal language, and it belongs to all mankind. All painters have been propagandists or else they have not been painters. ... Every artist…” quote by Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d4/diego-rivera-19217_art_all-art-is-propaganda-the-only-differenc_1677110.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d4/diego-rivera-19217_art_all-art-is-propaganda-the-only-differenc_1677110.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d4/diego-rivera-19217_art_all-art-is-propaganda-the-only-differenc_1677110.png) > “All art is propaganda. ... The only difference is the kind of propaganda. Since art is essential for human life, it can't just belong to the few. Art is the universal language, and it belongs to all mankind. All painters have been propagandists or else they have not been painters. ... Every artist who has been worth anything in art has been such a propagandist. ... Every strong artist has been a propagandist. I want to be a propagandist and I want to be nothing else. ... I want to use my art as a weapon.” [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art inherently carries messages; its purpose is to communicate ideas, often serving political or social agendas, making every artist a propagandist by nature. **In simple terms:** Art is always a message. Key Takeaway Use art to convey purpose. Themes art propaganda social responsibility Mood inspirational provocative Type philosophical political When to use this quote - public murals - educational campaigns - activist projects Key Concepts cultural theory political communication Questions to Reflect On - What message do you want your art to send? - Can art be neutral? A Different Perspective Art can also be purely aesthetic without agenda. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-is/) [Art Propaganda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-propaganda-452471/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Essentials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essentials/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Human life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-life/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painter/) [Painters Propagandists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painters-propagandists-920024/) [Propaganda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/propaganda/) [Propaganda Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/propaganda-art-920023/) [Propaganda Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/propaganda-difference-920022/) [Propagandist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/propagandist/) [Propagandists Painters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/propagandists-painters-920025/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Universal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universal/) [Universal language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universal-language/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Very strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-strong/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) ## Related quotes > [All art is propaganda; on the other hand, not all propaganda is art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/all-art-is-propaganda-on-the-other-hand-not-all-propaganda-is-art/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [I never wished to be a politician, and I despise them. I've also wrestled with it over the years, and I deeply dislike propaganda.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-flood/i-never-wished-to-be-a-politician-and-i-despise-them-i-ve-also/) [Mark Flood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-flood/) > [Art functioning as propaganda is not art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-nimoy/art-functioning-as-propaganda-is-not-art/) [Leonard Nimoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-nimoy/) > [“Propaganda is the evil twin of Fiction: while Fiction is the art of telling the truth without ever telling the truth, Propaganda is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/propaganda-is-the-evil-twin-of-fiction-while-fiction-is-the-art-of/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Propaganda is the art of persuading others of what you don't believe yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/decimius-magnus-ausonius/propaganda-is-the-art-of-persuading-others-of-what-you-don-t-believe/) [Decimius Magnus Ausonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/decimius-magnus-ausonius/) > [Thus all Art is propaganda and ever must be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/thus-all-art-is-propaganda-and-ever-must-be/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [I could hardly sit through 'Frozen.' There was an attempt to craft a moral message and to build the story around that, instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peterson/i-could-hardly-sit-through-frozen-there-was-an-attempt-to-craft-a/) [Jordan Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peterson/) > [All truly great art is propaganda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-petry/all-truly-great-art-is-propaganda/) [Ann Petry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-petry/) > [Malevich, Lissitsky, Kandinsky, Tatlin, Pevsner, Rodchenko… all believed in the social role of art… Their works were like hinged doors, connecting activity with activity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/malevich-lissitsky-kandinsky-tatlin-pevsner-rodchenko-all-believed-in/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [ \[Propaganda\] must be aimed at the emotions and only to a very limited degree at the so-called intellect... The art of propaganda lies in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/propaganda-must-be-aimed-at-the-emotions-and-only-to-a-very-limited/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [All art is propaganda...I do not care a damn, for any art that is not used for propaganda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/all-art-is-propaganda-i-do-not-care-a-damn-for-any-art-that-is-not/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [All art is propaganda, and ever must be, despite the wailing of the purists. I stand in utter shamelessness and say that whatever art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/all-art-is-propaganda-and-ever-must-be-despite-the-wailing-of-the/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Art and propaganda have this much connection, that if a propaganda makes art impossible, it is clearly damned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/art-and-propaganda-have-this-much-connection-that-if-a-propaganda/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [The art of propaganda lies in understanding the emotional ideas of the great masses and finding, through a psychologically correct form, the way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-art-of-propaganda-lies-in-understanding-the-emotional-ideas-of/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [I don't think art is propaganda; it should be something that liberates the soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-haring/i-don-t-think-art-is-propaganda-it-should-be-something-that-liberates/) [Keith Haring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-haring/) ## More by Diego Rivera > [I did not know it then, but Frida had already become the most important fact in my life. And would continue to be, up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/i-did-not-know-it-then-but-frida-had-already-become-the-most/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [“As I rode back to Detroit, a vision of Henry Ford's industrial empire kept passing before my eyes. In my ears, I heard the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/as-i-rode-back-to-detroit-a-vision-of-henry-ford-s-industrial-empire/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [Looking back upon my work today, I think the best I have done grew out of things deeply felt, the worst from a pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/looking-back-upon-my-work-today-i-think-the-best-i-have-done-grew-out/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [“In my previous murals, I had tried to achieve a harmony in my painting with the architecture of the building. But to attempt such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/in-my-previous-murals-i-had-tried-to-achieve-a-harmony-in-my-painting/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [Only the work of art itself can raise the standard of taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/only-the-work-of-art-itself-can-raise-the-standard-of-taste/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [Art is like ham-it nourishes people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/art-is-like-ham-it-nourishes-people/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [“I spent the two and one-half months between my meeting with the Art Commission and the beginning of my actual mural work in soaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/i-spent-the-two-and-one-half-months-between-my-meeting-with-the-art/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [“From sunrise to sunset, I was in the forest, sometimes far from the house, with my goat who watched me as a mother does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/from-sunrise-to-sunset-i-was-in-the-forest-sometimes-far-from-the/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [July 13, 1954 was the most tragic day of my life. I had lost my beloved Frida forever. To late now I realized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/july-13-1954-was-the-most-tragic-day-of-my-life-i-had-lost-my-beloved/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [“you have to trust a TRUE compliment as muc as a critique.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/you-have-to-trust-a-true-compliment-as-muc-as-a-critique/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [“While working in California, I met William Valentiner and Edgar Richardson of the Detroit Institute of Arts. I mentioned a desire which I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/while-working-in-california-i-met-william-valentiner-and-edgar/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [The artist must try to raise the level of taste of the masses, not debase himself to the level of unformed and impoverished taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/the-artist-must-try-to-raise-the-level-of-taste-of-the-masses-not/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [To be an artist, one must . . . never shirk from the truth as he understands it, never withdraw from life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/to-be-an-artist-one-must-never-shirk-from-the-truth-as-he-understands/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [My cubist paintings are my most Mexican.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/my-cubist-paintings-are-my-most-mexican/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [Every good composition is above all a work of abstraction. All good painters know this. But the painter cannot dispense with subjects altogether without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/every-good-composition-is-above-all-a-work-of-abstraction-all-good/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) [Explore all 32 Diego Rivera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) ## 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. 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": "All art is propaganda. ... The only difference is the kind of propaganda. Since art is essential for human life, it can't just belong to the few. Art is the universal language, and it belongs to all mankind. All painters have been propagandists or else they have not been painters. ... Every artist who has been worth anything in art has been such a propagandist. ... Every strong artist has been a propagandist. I want to be a propagandist and I want to be nothing else. ... 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