---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One thing, however, did become clear to…"
description: "\"“One thing, however, did become clear to him—why so many perfect works of art did not please him at all, why they were almost hateful and boring to him..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/hermann-hesse-130_art_one-thing-however-did-become-clear-to-hi_2690208.png"
---

#  One thing, however, did become clear to him—why so many…

![“One thing, however, did become clear to him—why so many perfect works of art did not please him at all, why they were almost hateful and boring to him, in spite of a certain undeniable beauty. Workshops, churches, and palaces were full of these fatal works of art; he had even helped with a few…” quote by Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/hermann-hesse-130_art_one-thing-however-did-become-clear-to-hi_2690208.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/hermann-hesse-130_art_one-thing-however-did-become-clear-to-hi_2690208.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/hermann-hesse-130_art_one-thing-however-did-become-clear-to-hi_2690208.png)

> ““One thing, however, did become clear to him—why so many perfect works of art did not please him at all, why they were almost hateful and boring to him, in spite of a certain undeniable beauty. Workshops, churches, and palaces were full of these fatal works of art; he had even helped with a few himself. They were deeply disappointing because they aroused the desire for the highest and did not fulfill it. They lacked the most essential thing—mystery. That was what dreams and truly great works of art had in common: mystery.””

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Art lacking mystery feels empty; true greatness requires an element of the unknown that sparks imagination.

**In simple terms:** Mystery makes art alive.

Key Takeaway

Seek mystery in creative pursuits.

Themes

art beauty mystery

Mood

contemplative inspired

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- painting
- music
- writing
- design
- education

Key Concepts

aesthetics philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- What mystery do you find in your favorite art?
- How can you incorporate mystery into your work?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on technique can stifle mystery.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystery/)

## Related quotes

> [It drove me mad not being able to know more about Pink Floyd when I was a little kid. But that's the great thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-carey/it-drove-me-mad-not-being-able-to-know-more-about-pink-floyd-when-i/)

[Danny Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-carey/)

> [“They asked him questions he had never thought of: What is more important, the soul or the mind? Are we responsible for each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-vanderpool/they-asked-him-questions-he-had-never-thought-of-what-is-more/)

[Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/)

> [“A great book is a thing of mystery and beauty; it has the power to move you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-leckman/a-great-book-is-a-thing-of-mystery-and-beauty-it-has-the-power-to/)

[Neil Leckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-leckman/)

> [Abstract art has helped us to experience the emotional power inherent in pure form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-ehrenzweig/abstract-art-has-helped-us-to-experience-the-emotional-power-inherent/)

[Anton Ehrenzweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-ehrenzweig/)

> [Art helped give me confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-koons/art-helped-give-me-confidence/)

[Jeff Koons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-koons/)

> [ \[Art\] would have helped us survive in the Pleistocene - in the period, say, 1.6 million years ago until fairly recently. The kind of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-dutton/art-would-have-helped-us-survive-in-the-pleistocene-in-the-period-say/)

[Denis Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-dutton/)

> [I probably sensed the serious formality of the ceremonies and felt what others were feeling then. Looking back, I'd guess that it had opened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/araya-rasdjarmrearnsook/i-probably-sensed-the-serious-formality-of-the-ceremonies-and-felt/)

[Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/araya-rasdjarmrearnsook/)

> [Art has helped shape me in a way that is maybe unique, but I've also got to go and put my own form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-tucker/art-has-helped-shape-me-in-a-way-that-is-maybe-unique-but-i-ve-also/)

[Justin Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-tucker/)

> [“He believes that a real work of art can be owned but should not be subject to capture; that it should radiate such authority,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cunningham/he-believes-that-a-real-work-of-art-can-be-owned-but-should-not-be/)

[Michael Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cunningham/)

> [“...an acquaintance with the great works of art and thought is the only real insurance against the barbarism of the time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-wilson/an-acquaintance-with-the-great-works-of-art-and-thought-is-the-only/)

[Edmund Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-wilson/)

> [Beauty is not the purpose of creation, it is its reward. Its appearance, often late in the day, is no more than an indication…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brassai/beauty-is-not-the-purpose-of-creation-it-is-its-reward-its-appearance/)

[Brassai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brassai/)

> [“Hence Proust’s assertion that the greatness of works of art has nothing to do with the apparent quality of their subject matter, and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/hence-proust-s-assertion-that-the-greatness-of-works-of-art-has/)

[Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/)

> [We're all works of art in progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-dell-orefice/we-re-all-works-of-art-in-progress/)

[Carmen Dell'Orefice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-dell-orefice/)

> [“...the special quality of works of Art being to produce the momentary conviction that anything else whatever could not possibly be so good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-p-shiel/the-special-quality-of-works-of-art-being-to-produce-the-momentary/)

[M.P. Shiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-p-shiel/)

> [Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-debussy/works-of-art-make-rules-rules-do-not-make-works-of-art/)

[Claude Debussy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-debussy/)

## More by Hermann Hesse

> [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Fortunately, like most children, I had learned what is most valuable, most indispensable for life before school years began, taught by apple trees, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/fortunately-like-most-children-i-had-learned-what-is-most-valuable/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [“The mistaken and unhappy notion that a man is an enduring unity is known to you. It is also known to you that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/the-mistaken-and-unhappy-notion-that-a-man-is-an-enduring-unity-is/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [“... it would be better for our country and the world in general, if at least the few people who were capable of thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-would-be-better-for-our-country-and-the-world-in-general-if-at/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/the-bird-fights-its-way-out-of-the-egg-the-egg-is-the-world-who-would/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/everything-becomes-a-little-different-as-soon-as-it-is-spoken-out-loud/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-may-be-important-to-great-thinkers-to-examine-the-world-to-explain/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [“..it is useless for you to build walls and dormitories and chapels and churches. Death looks through the window and laughs..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-is-useless-for-you-to-build-walls-and-dormitories-and-chapels-and/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [“When the world is at peace, when all things are tranquil and all men obey their superiors in all their courses, then music can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/when-the-world-is-at-peace-when-all-things-are-tranquil-and-all-men/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [A mere nothing suffices — and the lightning strikes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-mere-nothing-suffices-and-the-lightning-strikes/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [“And if time is not real, then the dividing line that seems to lie between this world and eternity, between suffering and bliss, between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/and-if-time-is-not-real-then-the-dividing-line-that-seems-to-lie/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Beautiful was this world, looking at it thus, without searching, thus simply, thus childlike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/beautiful-was-this-world-looking-at-it-thus-without-searching-thus/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Were not the gods forms created like me and you, mortal, transient?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/were-not-the-gods-forms-created-like-me-and-you-mortal-transient/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

[Explore all 951 Hermann Hesse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

## 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": "“One thing, however, did become clear to him—why so many perfect works of art did not please him at all, why they were almost hateful and boring to him, in spite of a certain undeniable beauty. Workshops, churches, and palaces were full of these fatal works of art; he had even helped with a few himself. They were deeply disappointing because they aroused the desire for the highest and did not fulfill it. They lacked the most essential thing—mystery. That was what dreams and truly great works of art had in common: mystery.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Hermann Hesse"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/one-thing-however-did-become-clear-to-him-why-so-many-perfect-works/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/one-thing-however-did-become-clear-to-him-why-so-many-perfect-works/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/hermann-hesse-130_art_one-thing-however-did-become-clear-to-hi_2690208.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/hermann-hesse-130_art_one-thing-however-did-become-clear-to-hi_2690208.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/hermann-hesse-130_art_one-thing-however-did-become-clear-to-hi_2690208.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“One thing, however, did become clear to him—why so many perfect works of art did not please him at all, why…” — Hermann Hesse",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Hermann Hesse",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“One thing, however, did become clear...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/one-thing-however-did-become-clear-to-him-why-so-many-perfect-works/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/one-thing-however-did-become-clear-to-him-why-so-many-perfect-works/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
