Art Quote by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward
“The literary artist will ... portray what he knows, and little else. Imagination is built upon knowledge, and his dreams will rest upon his facts. He is worth to the world just about what he has learned from it, and no more.”
About This Quote
The quote argues that artistic creation should be grounded in knowledge; imagination without factual basis is limited.
In simple terms: Art needs knowledge to imagine.
Key Takeaway
Learn deeply to create meaningfully.
Themes
art
knowledge
imagination
education
creativity
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- writing
- teaching
- research
- creative projects
Key Concepts
epistemology
creative process
literary theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How much does knowledge limit creativity?
- Can imagination thrive without facts?
A Different Perspective
It may undervalue pure imagination and intuitive insight.
![“To exist as an advertisement of her husband's income, or her father's generosity, has become a second nature to many a woman who must have undergone, one would say, some long and subtle process of degradation before she sunk [sic] so low, or grovelled so serenely.” quote by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a22/elizabeth-stuart-phelps-ward-2_advertisements_to-exist-as-an-advertisement-of-her-husb_1017596.jpg)
