--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And, ach! what a beautiful skeleton you…" description: "\"“And, ach! what a beautiful skeleton you will make! And very soon, too, because you do not smile on your madly loving Svengali. You burn his letters wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b8/george-du-maurier-34854_big-mouth_and-ach-what-a-beautiful-skeleton-you-wi_1374529.jpg" --- # And, ach! what a beautiful skeleton you will make! And… ![“And, ach! what a beautiful skeleton you will make! And very soon, too, because you do not smile on your madly loving Svengali. You burn his letters without reading them! You shall have a nice little mahogany glass case all to yourself in the museum of the École de Médecine, and Svengali shall come…” quote by George du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b8/george-du-maurier-34854_big-mouth_and-ach-what-a-beautiful-skeleton-you-wi_1374529.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b8/george-du-maurier-34854_big-mouth_and-ach-what-a-beautiful-skeleton-you-wi_1374529.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b8/george-du-maurier-34854_big-mouth_and-ach-what-a-beautiful-skeleton-you-wi_1374529.jpg) > ““And, ach! what a beautiful skeleton you will make! And very soon, too, because you do not smile on your madly loving Svengali. You burn his letters without reading them! You shall have a nice little mahogany glass case all to yourself in the museum of the École de Médecine, and Svengali shall come in his new fur-lined coat, smoking his big cigar of the Havana, and push the dirty carabins\* out of the way, and look through the holes of your eyes into your stupid empty skull, and up the nostrils of your high, bony sounding-board of a nose without either a tip or a lip to it, and into the roof of your big mouth, with your thirty-two big English teeth, and between your big ribs into your big chest, where the big leather lungs used to be, and say, “Ach! what a pity she had no more music in her than a big tom-cat!” And then he will look all down your bones to your poor crumbling feet, and say, “Ach! what a fool she was not to answer Svengali’s letters!”” [George du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage satirically imagines a grotesque future where a character becomes a museum exhibit, mocking vanity and artistic pretensions. **In simple terms:** A vain artist ends up as a museum skeleton, a dark satire. Key Takeaway Beware vanity and superficial art. Themes art vanity satire mortality creativity Mood cynical dark humor Type satire literary criticism When to use this quote - theatre - visual arts - personal branding - public criticism Key Concepts human folly legacy objectification Questions to Reflect On - What does this warn about fame? - How can art stay authentic? A Different Perspective The extreme imagery may alienate readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big mouth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-mouth/) ## Related quotes > [very bright teeth as big and orderly as piano keys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-ozick/very-bright-teeth-as-big-and-orderly-as-piano-keys/) [Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-ozick/) > [I like the fact that I have good old-fashioned British teeth with a big gap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-like-the-fact-that-i-have-good-old-fashioned-british-teeth-with-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I used to be insecure and cover my mouth because I felt like my teeth were too big or I was embarrassed that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-brat/i-used-to-be-insecure-and-cover-my-mouth-because-i-felt-like-my-teeth/) [Da Brat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-brat/) > [If you didn't hear it with your own ears or see it with your own eyes, Don't invent it with your small mind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-didn-t-hear-it-with-your-own-ears-or-see-it-with-your-own-eyes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Conor McGregor has a big mouth. But I do love the way he fights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-liddell/conor-mcgregor-has-a-big-mouth-but-i-do-love-the-way-he-fights/) [Chuck Liddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-liddell/) > [If you've got a big mouth and you're controversial, you're going to get attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cowell/if-you-ve-got-a-big-mouth-and-you-re-controversial-you-re-going-to/) [Simon Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-cowell/) > [If you didnt see it with your own eyes or hear it with your own ears, dont invent it with your small mind &…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rezahanapi/if-you-didnt-see-it-with-your-own-eyes-or-hear-it-with-your-own-ears/) [Rezahanapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rezahanapi/) > [I was a bit of a big mouth my whole life. I'm a person who expresses themselves with a lot of openness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-heche/i-was-a-bit-of-a-big-mouth-my-whole-life-i-m-a-person-who-expresses/) [Anne Heche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-heche/) > [Hey big mouth, how do you spell triple?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shoeless-joe-jackson/hey-big-mouth-how-do-you-spell-triple/) Shoeless Joe Jackson > [Big mouth peoples sink ships faster then they start to Sail...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenchqueen/big-mouth-peoples-sink-ships-faster-then-they-start-to-sail/) Frenchqueen > [“If you don't see it with your own eyes or hear it with your own ears, don't invent it with your small mind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-don-t-see-it-with-your-own-eyes-or-hear-it-with-your-own-ears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Remember what the fashion big mouths were saying about Jessica Simpson? Looking at her magazine pictures, sucking their teeth, going, "Oh, look at her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whoopi-goldberg/remember-what-the-fashion-big-mouths-were-saying-about-jessica/) [Whoopi Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whoopi-goldberg/) > [Me and my big mouth! I'd get rid of it, only it's such a handy place to keep my teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-durante/me-and-my-big-mouth-i-d-get-rid-of-it-only-it-s-such-a-handy-place-to/) [Jimmy Durante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-durante/) > [Ah simple laughter that you trewing on my face. Is a simple karma that you will get for tomorrow.. Ah big clap from my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leodonessiony/ah-simple-laughter-that-you-trewing-on-my-face-is-a-simple-karma-that/) [Leodonessiony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leodonessiony/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) ## More by George du Maurier > [Lovely female shapes are terrible complicators of the difficulties and dangers of this earthly life, especially for their owners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/lovely-female-shapes-are-terrible-complicators-of-the-difficulties/) [George du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) > [Happiness is like time and space-we make and measure it ourselves; it is as fancy, as big, as little, as you please, just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/happiness-is-like-time-and-space-we-make-and-measure-it-ourselves-it/) [George du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) > [An apple is an excellent thing -- until you have tried a peach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/an-apple-is-an-excellent-thing-until-you-have-tried-a-peach/) [George du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) > [“But you are not listening, sapperment! great big she-fool that you are—sheep’s-head! Dummkopf! Donnerwetter! you are looking at the chimney-pots when Svengali talks! Look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/but-you-are-not-listening-sapperment-great-big-she-fool-that-you-are/) [George du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) > [The wretcheder one is, the more one smokes; and the more one smokes, the wretcheder one gets-a vicious circle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/the-wretcheder-one-is-the-more-one-smokes-and-the-more-one-smokes-the/) [George du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) > [Sick I am of idle words, past all reconciling, Words that weary and perplex and pander and conceal, Wake the sounds that cannot lie,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/sick-i-am-of-idle-words-past-all-reconciling-words-that-weary-and/) [George du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) > [The best years of a man's life are after he is forty. A man at forty has ceased to hunt the moon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/the-best-years-of-a-man-s-life-are-after-he-is-forty-a-man-at-forty/) [George du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) > [Life ain't all beer and skittles, and more's the pity; but what's the odds, so long as you're happy?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/life-ain-t-all-beer-and-skittles-and-more-s-the-pity-but-what-s-the/) [George du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) > [“Happiness is like time and space--we make and measure it ourselves; it is a fancy--as big, as little, as you please; just a thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/happiness-is-like-time-and-space-we-make-and-measure-it-ourselves-it-2/) [George Du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) > [A little work, a little play, To keep us going - and so, good-day!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/a-little-work-a-little-play-to-keep-us-going-and-so-good-day/) [George du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) > [“It is a wondrous thing, the human foot—like the human hand; even more so, perhaps; but, unlike the hand, with which we are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/it-is-a-wondrous-thing-the-human-foot-like-the-human-hand-even-more/) [George du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) > [“Language is a poor thing. You fill your lungs with wind and shake a little slit in your throat, and make mouths, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/language-is-a-poor-thing-you-fill-your-lungs-with-wind-and-shake-a/) [George du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) > [I doubt if Dickens did, especially his women-his pretty women-Mrs. Dombey, Florence, Dora, Agnes, Ruth Pinch, Kate Nickleby, little Emily-we know them all through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/i-doubt-if-dickens-did-especially-his-women-his-pretty-women-mrs/) [George du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) [Explore all 14 George du Maurier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-du-maurier/) ## More Big mouth quotes > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) > [Ah simple laughter that you trewing on my face. Is a simple karma that you will get for tomorrow.. Ah big clap from my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leodonessiony/ah-simple-laughter-that-you-trewing-on-my-face-is-a-simple-karma-that/) [Leodonessiony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leodonessiony/) > [Me and my big mouth! I'd get rid of it, only it's such a handy place to keep my teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-durante/me-and-my-big-mouth-i-d-get-rid-of-it-only-it-s-such-a-handy-place-to/) [Jimmy Durante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-durante/) > [“Remember what the fashion big mouths were saying about Jessica Simpson? Looking at her magazine pictures, sucking their teeth, going, "Oh, look at her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whoopi-goldberg/remember-what-the-fashion-big-mouths-were-saying-about-jessica/) [Whoopi Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whoopi-goldberg/) > [“If you don't see it with your own eyes or hear it with your own ears, don't invent it with your small mind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-don-t-see-it-with-your-own-eyes-or-hear-it-with-your-own-ears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Big mouth peoples sink ships faster then they start to Sail...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenchqueen/big-mouth-peoples-sink-ships-faster-then-they-start-to-sail/) Frenchqueen > [Hey big mouth, how do you spell triple?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shoeless-joe-jackson/hey-big-mouth-how-do-you-spell-triple/) Shoeless Joe Jackson > [I was a bit of a big mouth my whole life. I'm a person who expresses themselves with a lot of openness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-heche/i-was-a-bit-of-a-big-mouth-my-whole-life-i-m-a-person-who-expresses/) [Anne Heche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-heche/) > [If you didnt see it with your own eyes or hear it with your own ears, dont invent it with your small mind &…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rezahanapi/if-you-didnt-see-it-with-your-own-eyes-or-hear-it-with-your-own-ears/) [Rezahanapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rezahanapi/) > [If you've got a big mouth and you're controversial, you're going to get attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cowell/if-you-ve-got-a-big-mouth-and-you-re-controversial-you-re-going-to/) [Simon Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-cowell/) > [Conor McGregor has a big mouth. But I do love the way he fights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-liddell/conor-mcgregor-has-a-big-mouth-but-i-do-love-the-way-he-fights/) [Chuck Liddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-liddell/) > [If you didn't hear it with your own ears or see it with your own eyes, Don't invent it with your small mind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-didn-t-hear-it-with-your-own-ears-or-see-it-with-your-own-eyes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was really, really, really skinny. Great big mouth on a little face. Just goofy-looking. More goofy than I am now. Really goofy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-cox/i-was-really-really-really-skinny-great-big-mouth-on-a-little-face/) [Nikki Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-cox/) > [I have a big mouth. And I'm not afraid to use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-crenn/i-have-a-big-mouth-and-i-m-not-afraid-to-use-it/) [Dominique Crenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-crenn/) > [As a human being with notoriety and a big mouth, I've felt most threatened during the first Bush Administration. Whenever there's a Bush in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/as-a-human-being-with-notoriety-and-a-big-mouth-i-ve-felt-most/) [Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/) [Browse all 121 Big mouth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-mouth/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And, ach! what a beautiful skeleton you will make! And very soon, too, because you do not smile on your madly loving Svengali. You burn his letters without reading them! You shall have a nice little mahogany glass case all to yourself in the museum of the École de Médecine, and Svengali shall come in his new fur-lined coat, smoking his big cigar of the Havana, and push the dirty carabins* out of the way, and look through the holes of your eyes into your stupid empty skull, and up the nostrils of your high, bony sounding-board of a nose without either a tip or a lip to it, and into the roof of your big mouth, with your thirty-two big English teeth, and between your big ribs into your big chest, where the big leather lungs used to be, and say, “Ach! what a pity she had no more music in her than a big tom-cat!” And then he will look all down your bones to your poor crumbling feet, and say, “Ach! what a fool she was not to answer Svengali’s letters!”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George du Maurier" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/and-ach-what-a-beautiful-skeleton-you-will-make-and-very-soon-too/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big mouth" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-du-maurier/and-ach-what-a-beautiful-skeleton-you-will-make-and-very-soon-too/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b8/george-du-maurier-34854_big-mouth_and-ach-what-a-beautiful-skeleton-you-wi_1374529.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b8/george-du-maurier-34854_big-mouth_and-ach-what-a-beautiful-skeleton-you-wi_1374529.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b8/george-du-maurier-34854_big-mouth_and-ach-what-a-beautiful-skeleton-you-wi_1374529.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And, ach! what a beautiful skeleton you will make! 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