--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I see that the nineteenth century…" description: "\"When I see that the nineteenth century has crowned the idolatry of Art with the deification of Love, so that every poet is supposed to have pierced to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/482/george-bernard-shaw-68_art_when-i-see-that-the-nineteenth-century-h_980092.png" --- # When I see that the nineteenth century has crowned the… ![“When I see that the nineteenth century has crowned the idolatry of Art with the deification of Love, so that every poet is supposed to have pierced to the holy of holies when he has announced that Love is the Supreme, or the Enough, or the All, I feel that Art was safer in the hands of the most…” quote by George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/482/george-bernard-shaw-68_art_when-i-see-that-the-nineteenth-century-h_980092.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/482/george-bernard-shaw-68_art_when-i-see-that-the-nineteenth-century-h_980092.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/482/george-bernard-shaw-68_art_when-i-see-that-the-nineteenth-century-h_980092.png) > “When I see that the nineteenth century has crowned the idolatry of Art with the deification of Love, so that every poet is supposed to have pierced to the holy of holies when he has announced that Love is the Supreme, or the Enough, or the All, I feel that Art was safer in the hands of the most fanatical of Cromwell's major generals than it will be if ever it gets into mine.” [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shaw critiques the romanticization of love in art, suggesting it can become a limiting dogma that endangers artistic freedom. **In simple terms:** Art should resist being reduced to a single ideal. Key Takeaway Guard artistic integrity against over‑idealization. Themes art love freedom dogma creativity Mood skeptical critical reflective Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - Literary criticism - artistic practice - public discourse Key Concepts Romanticism idealism censorship Questions to Reflect On - How does idealizing love affect artistic truth? - Can art thrive without a central doctrine? A Different Perspective Even revered ideals can constrain expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) [Cromwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cromwell/) [Crowned Idolatry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crowned-idolatry-1611612/) [Deification Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deification-love-1611613/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Fanatical Cromwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fanatical-cromwell-1939618/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Idolatry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idolatry/) [Idolatry Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idolatry-art-1611611/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-is/) [Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majors/) [Mines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mines/) [Nineteenth century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nineteenth-century/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Supreme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supreme/) ## Related quotes > [When I see that the nineteenthcentury has crowned the idolatry of Art with the deification of Love, so that every poet is supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/when-i-see-that-the-nineteenthcentury-has-crowned-the-idolatry-of-art/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The most revolutionary invention of the Nineteenth Century was the artificial sterilization of marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-most-revolutionary-invention-of-the-nineteenth-century-was-the/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [It has been remarked that almost every character which has excited either attention or pity has owed part of its success to merit, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/it-has-been-remarked-that-almost-every-character-which-has-excited/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [I got four volumes of the letters and speeches of Oliver Cromwell. 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'You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/he-looked-the-prince-up-and-down-like-a-hangman-taking-his/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [“The house had a name and a history; the old gentleman taking his tea would have been delighted to tell you these things: how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/the-house-had-a-name-and-a-history-the-old-gentleman-taking-his-tea/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [Taxation, the very thing that had triggered the British civil wars, would do so again, this time in America. 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