Art Quote by Edgar Allan Poe
““Poe would certainly have applauded Walter Pater’s assertion that ‘all art continuously aspires to the condition of music’ – to that ideally abstract medium whose components are not distorted by material connotation, and are thus freed to create their own unique, transcendent relationships. It””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Philosophy of Composition, Edgar Allan Poe, 1846
Art should aim for the abstract purity of music, free from material constraints, to create unique, transcendent relationships.
In simple terms: Art should emulate music’s pure abstraction.
Key Takeaway
Pursue art that transcends material limits.
Themes
a
aesthetic theory
music
Mood
introspective
theoretical
Type
philosophical
artistic
When to use this quote
- creative practice
- art criticism
- music composition
Key Concepts
abstraction
transcendence
relationship of
Questions to Reflect On
- How can visual art achieve musical abstraction?
- What role does material context play in art?
A Different Perspective
May neglect the value of narrative and concrete meaning.
![“What is Mona Lisa thinking? Nothing, of course. Her blankness is her menace and our fear. [...] Walter Pater is to call her a 'vampire,' coasting through history on her secret tasks.” quote by Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/526/camille-paglia-652_artist_what-is-mona-lisa-thinking-nothing-of-co_3075278.jpg)
