--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Art must take reality by surprise. It…" description: "\"Art must take reality by surprise. It takes those moments which are for us merely a moment, plus a moment, plus another moment, and arbitrarily transfo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/francoise-sagan-3194_art_art-must-take-reality-by-surprise-it-tak_241297.png" --- # Art must take reality by surprise. It takes those moments… ![“Art must take reality by surprise. It takes those moments which are for us merely a moment, plus a moment, plus another moment, and arbitrarily transforms them into a special series of moments held together by a major emotion.” quote by Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/francoise-sagan-3194_art_art-must-take-reality-by-surprise-it-tak_241297.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/francoise-sagan-3194_art_art-must-take-reality-by-surprise-it-tak_241297.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/francoise-sagan-3194_art_art-must-take-reality-by-surprise-it-tak_241297.png) > “Art must take reality by surprise. It takes those moments which are for us merely a moment, plus a moment, plus another moment, and arbitrarily transforms them into a special series of moments held together by a major emotion.” [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art reshapes ordinary moments into emotionally charged sequences that surprise us. **In simple terms:** Art turns everyday into something special. Key Takeaway Seek moments that provoke strong feelings. Themes creativity surprise emotion Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical artistic When to use this quote - museum visits - live performances - personal storytelling - daily observations Key Concepts aesthetics temporal perception Questions to Reflect On - Which mundane moments have inspired you? - How does surprise affect memory? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on surprise can eclipse deeper meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Art must take reality by surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/art-must-take-reality-by-surprise/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [“For me, magic can be a story, a game, a puzzle, or a surprise that takes my breath away in a single, furious gulp.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-patrick-harris/for-me-magic-can-be-a-story-a-game-a-puzzle-or-a-surprise-that-takes/) [Neil Patrick Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-patrick-harris/) > [It takes a real man to take care of a lady, it takes confidence, to say I love you, It takes moments, to fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/strawberry/it-takes-a-real-man-to-take-care-of-a-lady-it-takes-confidence-to-say/) [Strawberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/strawberry/) > [Trust takes years to build up, it takes moments to destroy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trust-takes-years-to-build-up-it-takes-moments-to-destroy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It takes a boy, to take care of his toy. But it takes a man, to take care of a lady. It takes confidence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-a-boy-to-take-care-of-his-toy-but-it-takes-a-man-to-take/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If the artist succeeds in producing the impression of a movement which takes several moments for accomplishment, his work is certainly much less conventional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auguste-rodin/if-the-artist-succeeds-in-producing-the-impression-of-a-movement/) [Auguste Rodin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auguste-rodin/) > [For art to be reality, the whole sensuous being must be caught up in the experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/for-art-to-be-reality-the-whole-sensuous-being-must-be-caught-up-in/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Wherever life takes us, there are always moments of wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/wherever-life-takes-us-there-are-always-moments-of-wonder/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Once again, life had a lesson to teach me: It takes years to build up, it takes moments to destroy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/once-again-life-had-a-lesson-to-teach-me-it-takes-years-to-build-up/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Art is a reality, not a definition; inasmuch as it approaches a reality, it approaches perfection, and inasmuch as it approaches a mere definition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-haydon/art-is-a-reality-not-a-definition-inasmuch-as-it-approaches-a-reality/) [Benjamin Haydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-haydon/) > [The building art is, in reality, always the spatial execution of spiritual decisions. It is bound to its times and manifests itself only in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/the-building-art-is-in-reality-always-the-spatial-execution-of/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [The idea of the person enters poetics where art and reality, or intentionality and circumstance, meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyn-hejinian/the-idea-of-the-person-enters-poetics-where-art-and-reality-or/) [Lyn Hejinian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyn-hejinian/) > [Its not the breath that takes our moments away, its the moments that take our breath away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-forgotten/its-not-the-breath-that-takes-our-moments-away-its-the-moments-that/) The Forgotten > [It takes years to build up, it takes moments to destroy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/it-takes-years-to-build-up-it-takes-moments-to-destroy/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“What i Like about Photography is that it takes moments that should have been forgotten, and just Freezes them, and allows us to share…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jes-s-holguin/what-i-like-about-photography-is-that-it-takes-moments-that-should/) Jesús Holguin ## More by Francoise Sagan > [It is healthier to see the good points of others than to analyze our own bad ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/it-is-healthier-to-see-the-good-points-of-others-than-to-analyze-our/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [“Every little girl knows about love. It is only her capacity to suffer from it that increases.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/every-little-girl-knows-about-love-it-is-only-her-capacity-to-suffer/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [Writing is just having a sheet of paper, a pen and not a shadow of an idea of what you are going to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/writing-is-just-having-a-sheet-of-paper-a-pen-and-not-a-shadow-of-an/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [“Nicole had put on weight. This is the effect which, in three cases out of four, unhappiness has upon women. The process of eating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/nicole-had-put-on-weight-this-is-the-effect-which-in-three-cases-out/) [Françoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [Art must take reality by surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/art-must-take-reality-by-surprise/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [“We always want someone we've treated badly to be gay. It's less upsetting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/we-always-want-someone-we-ve-treated-badly-to-be-gay-it-s-less/) [Françoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [A love affair based on jealousy is doomed from the start ... It is certanly a sign of love, but it's a sign that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/a-love-affair-based-on-jealousy-is-doomed-from-the-start-it-is/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [“There is a certain kind of stupidity reserved for women's dealings with men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/there-is-a-certain-kind-of-stupidity-reserved-for-women-s-dealings/) [Françoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [One partner is always more in love than the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/one-partner-is-always-more-in-love-than-the-other/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [Life has confirmed for me the thoughts and impressions I had when I was 18, as if it was all intuition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/life-has-confirmed-for-me-the-thoughts-and-impressions-i-had-when-i/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [It would be bad form for me to describe people I don't know and don't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/it-would-be-bad-form-for-me-to-describe-people-i-don-t-know-and-don-t/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [Whisky, gambling and Ferraris are better than housework.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/whisky-gambling-and-ferraris-are-better-than-housework/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [Illness is the opposite of freedom. It makes everything impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/illness-is-the-opposite-of-freedom-it-makes-everything-impossible/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [“She said she didn't love him, and he said it didn't matter, and the poverty of their words brought tears to their eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/she-said-she-didn-t-love-him-and-he-said-it-didn-t-matter-and-the/) [Françoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [Houses are for private living, for friends, and for dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/houses-are-for-private-living-for-friends-and-for-dogs/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) [Explore all 111 Francoise Sagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) ## 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. 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": "Art must take reality by surprise. 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