--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not merely the likeness which is…" description: "\"It is not merely the likeness which is precious... but the association and the sense of nearness involved in the thing... the fact of the very shadow o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/elizabeth-barrett-browning-102_artist_it-is-not-merely-the-likeness-which-is-p_1019677.jpg" --- # It is not merely the likeness which is precious... but the… ![“It is not merely the likeness which is precious... but the association and the sense of nearness involved in the thing... the fact of the very shadow of the person lying there fixed forever! It is the very sanctification of portraits I think - and it is not at all monstrous in me to say that I…” quote by Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/elizabeth-barrett-browning-102_artist_it-is-not-merely-the-likeness-which-is-p_1019677.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/elizabeth-barrett-browning-102_artist_it-is-not-merely-the-likeness-which-is-p_1019677.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/elizabeth-barrett-browning-102_artist_it-is-not-merely-the-likeness-which-is-p_1019677.jpg) > “It is not merely the likeness which is precious... but the association and the sense of nearness involved in the thing... the fact of the very shadow of the person lying there fixed forever! It is the very sanctification of portraits I think - and it is not at all monstrous in me to say that I would rather have such a memorial of one I dearly loved, than the noblest Artist's work ever produced.” [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Portraits capture not just appearance but the emotional closeness and memory of a loved one, making them sacred reminders. **In simple terms:** Portraits hold emotional closeness. Key Takeaway Cherish memories through personal memorials. Themes memory love art remembrance Mood nostalgic reflective Type personal emotional When to use this quote - funeral rites - family heirlooms - personal art collections - grieving process Key Concepts emotional attachment symbolism legacy Questions to Reflect On - What does a portrait mean to you? - How do you balance memory and reality? A Different Perspective May idealizing memory obscure realistic grieving. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Early love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early-love/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Memorial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memorial/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Sanctification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanctification/) [Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Prizefighting ain't the noblest of arts and I ain't the noblest artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-greb/prizefighting-ain-t-the-noblest-of-arts-and-i-ain-t-the-noblest-artist/) Harry Greb > [The great risk of being alive is always that something can happen to you - or to someone you dearly love - at any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-bairstow/the-great-risk-of-being-alive-is-always-that-something-can-happen-to/) [Jonny Bairstow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-bairstow/) > [“When I was a teenager, for example, others questioned my blackness because some of the life choices I made weren’t considered to be “black”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/when-i-was-a-teenager-for-example-others-questioned-my-blackness/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [I felt betrayed and absolutely livid, but my body wasn’t smart enough to know it. 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