--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As the beautiful does not exist for the…" description: "\"As the beautiful does not exist for the artist and poet alone—though these can find in it more poignant depths of meaning than other men—so the world o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/evelyn-underhill-4102_art_as-the-beautiful-does-not-exist-for-the_3184844.jpg" --- # As the beautiful does not exist for the artist and poet… ![“As the beautiful does not exist for the artist and poet alone—though these can find in it more poignant depths of meaning than other men—so the world of Reality exists for all; and all may participate in it, unite with it, according to their measure and to the strength and purity of their desire.” quote by Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/evelyn-underhill-4102_art_as-the-beautiful-does-not-exist-for-the_3184844.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/evelyn-underhill-4102_art_as-the-beautiful-does-not-exist-for-the_3184844.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/evelyn-underhill-4102_art_as-the-beautiful-does-not-exist-for-the_3184844.jpg) > “As the beautiful does not exist for the artist and poet alone—though these can find in it more poignant depths of meaning than other men—so the world of Reality exists for all; and all may participate in it, unite with it, according to their measure and to the strength and purity of their desire.” [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Beauty is a universal reality that anyone can engage with, shaped by personal desire and purity. **In simple terms:** Beauty is for everyone, shaped by desire. Key Takeaway Seek beauty through pure intention. Themes beauty universality desire Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - art creation - personal reflection - community projects Key Concepts aesthetics spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How does your desire shape your perception of beauty? - Can purity be cultivated? A Different Perspective Beauty may be inaccessible without inner clarity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Depth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poignant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poignant/) [Purity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purity/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I may as well tell you, here and now, that if you are going about the place thinking things pretty, you will never make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/i-may-as-well-tell-you-here-and-now-that-if-you-are-going-about-the/) [P. G. 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Some sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-tarkovsky/an-artist-never-works-under-ideal-conditions-if-they-existed-his-work/) [Andrei Tarkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-tarkovsky/) > [Taste! It doesn't exist. An artist makes beautiful things without being aware of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-degas/taste-it-doesn-t-exist-an-artist-makes-beautiful-things-without-being/) [Edgar Degas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-degas/) > [Traditional science assumes, for the most part, that an objective observer independent reality exists; the universe, stars, galaxies, sun, moon and earth would still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/traditional-science-assumes-for-the-most-part-that-an-objective/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else. 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All that exists are images.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-is-no-material-universe-there-is-no-reality-all-that-exists-are/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [There exists, if I am not mistaken, an entire world which is the totality of mathematical truths, to which we have access only with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hermite/there-exists-if-i-am-not-mistaken-an-entire-world-which-is-the/) [Charles Hermite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hermite/) > [I think that reality exists and that it's knowable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/i-think-that-reality-exists-and-that-it-s-knowable/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [I secretly think reality exists so we can speculate about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/i-secretly-think-reality-exists-so-we-can-speculate-about-it/) [Slavoj Zizek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [There's a collective knowing that a dimension of reality exists beyond the material plane, and that sense of knowing is causing a mystical resurgence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/there-s-a-collective-knowing-that-a-dimension-of-reality-exists/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“But I tell you, Winston, that reality is not external. Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else. Whatever the Party holds to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/but-i-tell-you-winston-that-reality-is-not-external-reality-exists-in/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) ## More by Evelyn Underhill > [Sometimes I think the resurrection of the body, unless much improved in construction, a mistake!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/sometimes-i-think-the-resurrection-of-the-body-unless-much-improved/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [But so many Christians are like deaf people at a concert. They study the programme carefully, believe every statement make in it, speak respectfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/but-so-many-christians-are-like-deaf-people-at-a-concert-they-study/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [“Therefore it is to a practical mysticism that the practical man is here invited: to a training of his latent faculties, a bracing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/therefore-it-is-to-a-practical-mysticism-that-the-practical-man-is/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [When you let intution have its way with you, you open up new levels of the world. 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The uncertainties only begin for most of us when we ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/no-metaphysician-has-yet-shaken-the-ordinary-individual-s-belief-in/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [Love makes the whole difference between an execution and a martyrdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/love-makes-the-whole-difference-between-an-execution-and-a-martyrdom/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [A simple rule, to be followed whether one is in the light or not, gives backbone to one's spiritual life, as nothing else can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/a-simple-rule-to-be-followed-whether-one-is-in-the-light-or-not-gives/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [Every minute you are thinking of evil, you might have been thinking of good instead. Refuse to pander to a morbid interest in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/every-minute-you-are-thinking-of-evil-you-might-have-been-thinking-of/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [It seems so much easier in these days to live morally than to live beautifully. Lots of us manage to exist for years without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/it-seems-so-much-easier-in-these-days-to-live-morally-than-to-live/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [It is far easier, though not very easy, to develop and preserve a spiritual outlook on life than it is to make our everyday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/it-is-far-easier-though-not-very-easy-to-develop-and-preserve-a/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [though humility and acknowledgement of one's real failings is good, the gratuitous eating of worms not put before us by God does not nourish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/though-humility-and-acknowledgement-of-one-s-real-failings-is-good/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [Delicate humor is the crowning virtue of the saints.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/delicate-humor-is-the-crowning-virtue-of-the-saints/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [All things are perceived in the light of charity, and hence under the aspect of beauty; for beauty is simply reality seen with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/all-things-are-perceived-in-the-light-of-charity-and-hence-under-the/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) [Explore all 116 Evelyn Underhill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) ## 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 > [The house has to serve comfort. 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