---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Strauss’s, for instance, which begins in…"
description: "\"“Strauss’s, for instance, which begins in the heavens. The artist doesn’t ascend to glory, he appears in it, he already has it and the world is prepare..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/james-salter-2584_art_strauss-s-for-instance-which-begins-in-t_86461.jpg"
---

#  Strauss’s, for instance, which begins in the heavens. The…

![“Strauss’s, for instance, which begins in the heavens. The artist doesn’t ascend to glory, he appears in it, he already has it and the world is prepared to recognize him. Meteoric, like a comet—those are the phrases we apply, and it’s true, it is a kind of burning. It makes them highly visible, and…” quote by James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/james-salter-2584_art_strauss-s-for-instance-which-begins-in-t_86461.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/james-salter-2584_art_strauss-s-for-instance-which-begins-in-t_86461.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/james-salter-2584_art_strauss-s-for-instance-which-begins-in-t_86461.jpg)

> ““Strauss’s, for instance, which begins in the heavens. The artist doesn’t ascend to glory, he appears in it, he already has it and the world is prepared to recognize him. Meteoric, like a comet—those are the phrases we apply, and it’s true, it is a kind of burning. It makes them highly visible, and at the same time it consumes them, and it’s only afterwards, when the brilliance is gone, when their bones are lying alongside those of lesser men, that one can really judge. I mean, there are famous works, renowned in antiquity, and today absolutely forgotten: books, buildings, works of art.””

[James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/)

## About This Quote

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

Describes the fleeting nature of fame: brilliance burns brightly like a comet, gaining visibility but ultimately consuming the creator, leaving later judgment to history.

**In simple terms:** Fame is a burning comet.

Key Takeaway

Great works can be forgotten.

Themes

impermanence celebrity artistic legacy historical revisionism

Mood

melancholic reflective

Type

aphorism reflection

When to use this quote

- art criticism
- cultural history studies

Key Concepts

visibility consumption

Practical Applications

- critical essays
- museum curation

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do societies forget once‑celebrated works?
- Can brilliance be preserved without consumption?

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[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/)

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