---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is a story told about the sculptor…"
description: "\"“There is a story told about the sculptor Michelangelo. As he was chiseling the statue David out of a huge marble block, a young boy asked him, “How di..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/jeff-wheeler-3956_artist_there-is-a-story-told-about-the-sculptor_470099.jpg"
---

#  There is a story told about the sculptor Michelangelo. As…

![“There is a story told about the sculptor Michelangelo. As he was chiseling the statue David out of a huge marble block, a young boy asked him, “How did you know he was in there?” quote by Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/jeff-wheeler-3956_artist_there-is-a-story-told-about-the-sculptor_470099.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/jeff-wheeler-3956_artist_there-is-a-story-told-about-the-sculptor_470099.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/jeff-wheeler-3956_artist_there-is-a-story-told-about-the-sculptor_470099.jpg)

> ““There is a story told about the sculptor Michelangelo. As he was chiseling the statue David out of a huge marble block, a young boy asked him, “How did you know he was in there?””

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

## About This Quote

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

The quote illustrates that insight often lies hidden within a larger context, requiring effort to uncover.

**In simple terms:** Insight is hidden and needs effort to reveal.

Key Takeaway

Seek deeper layers beneath the surface.

Themes

creativity perseverance discovery

Mood

curious inspired

Type

aphilosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- problem solving
- research
- personal growth
- innovation

Key Concepts

philosophy artistic process

Questions to Reflect On

- What hidden potential are you overlooking?
- How can you persist when results aren't immediate?

A Different Perspective

The metaphor may oversimplify complex discovery processes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

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

## Related quotes

> [When they asked Michelangelo how he made his statue of David he is reported to have said, "It is easy. You just chip away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelangelo/when-they-asked-michelangelo-how-he-made-his-statue-of-david-he-is/)

[Michelangelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelangelo/)

> [“She’s kept her love for him as alive as the summer they first met. In order to do this, she’s turned life away. Sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/she-s-kept-her-love-for-him-as-alive-as-the-summer-they-first-met-in-2/)

[Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/)

> [I always say if I'm not good at something it's just because I've not had time to focus on it... it's just uncrafted, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sheen/i-always-say-if-i-m-not-good-at-something-it-s-just-because-i-ve-not/)

[Michael Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sheen/)

> [I think the Statue of David is pretty sexy. Id do him. -Deena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jersey-shore/i-think-the-statue-of-david-is-pretty-sexy-id-do-him-deena/)

Jersey Shore

> [I think the Statue of David is pretty sexy. I'd do him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deena-nicole-cortese/i-think-the-statue-of-david-is-pretty-sexy-i-d-do-him/)

Deena Nicole Cortese

> [“I asked if you'd rather me keep my shirt on." "No. Why?" "Should we throw a tarp over the statue of David while we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-london/i-asked-if-you-d-rather-me-keep-my-shirt-on-no-why-should-we-throw-a/)

[Ophelia London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-london/)

> [“To Giovanni da Pistoia Michelangelo, translated from the Italian by Joel Agee \| 144 words (On painting the vault of the Sistine Chapel) 1509…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-giovanni-da-pistoia-michelangelo-translated-from-the-italian-by/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Don't listen to those who say, you taking too big a chance. Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor, and it would surely be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/don-t-listen-to-those-who-say-you-taking-too-big-a-chance/)

[Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/)

> [Michelangelo indeed could have carved out your features.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/michelangelo-indeed-could-have-carved-out-your-features/)

[Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/)

> [“How to maintain the proper mood and not bore the congregation to sleep? Art was the answer. But not just pretty pictures that required…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-blech/how-to-maintain-the-proper-mood-and-not-bore-the-congregation-to/)

[Benjamin Blech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-blech/)

> [Even Michelangelo got paid for doing the Sistine Chapel. To those artists who say they're doing it for the love of art, I say:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianni-versace/even-michelangelo-got-paid-for-doing-the-sistine-chapel-to-those/)

[Gianni Versace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gianni-versace/)

> [If we now seek the spiritual significance of the technique of Michelangelo we shall find that his sculpture expressed restless energy...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auguste-rodin/if-we-now-seek-the-spiritual-significance-of-the-technique-of/)

[Auguste Rodin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auguste-rodin/)

> [“Michelangelo’s mistakes, frozen within testimony of concrete—what they suggest is that mistakes are, first and foremost, a by-product of the pursuit of excellence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-harmon/michelangelo-s-mistakes-frozen-within-testimony-of-concrete-what-they/)

James L. Harmon

> [“In the case of Michel Angelo we have an artist who with brush and chisel portrayed literally thousands of human forms; but with this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-carpenter/in-the-case-of-michel-angelo-we-have-an-artist-who-with-brush-and/)

[Edward Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-carpenter/)

> [“Like Michelangelo spending eight months in the mountains of Carrara, selecting the most perfect blocks of marble for the tomb of Pope Julius II,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/like-michelangelo-spending-eight-months-in-the-mountains-of-carrara/)

[Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/)

## More by Jeff Wheeler

> [“Is it not strange that the more someone has, the less he feels he has? Envy can never be sated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/is-it-not-strange-that-the-more-someone-has-the-less-he-feels-he-has/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [“When an opponent threatens you, the best way to respond is not by reacting to the threat but by turning the game around and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/when-an-opponent-threatens-you-the-best-way-to-respond-is-not-by/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [“The greatest power over a man is his desire to please a particular woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/the-greatest-power-over-a-man-is-his-desire-to-please-a-particular/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [“There is wisdom in climbing mountains... For they teach us how truly small we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/there-is-wisdom-in-climbing-mountains-for-they-teach-us-how-truly/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [“Work has a way of cleansing the mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/work-has-a-way-of-cleansing-the-mind/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [“In every great city, with all its gleaming walls and massive libraries, with all the shimmering fountains and sculptured gardens, there is a superfluity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/in-every-great-city-with-all-its-gleaming-walls-and-massive-libraries/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [“New ideas are delicate. They can be crushed easily. New ideas can be killed by a sneer or a yawn . . . or even a frown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/new-ideas-are-delicate-they-can-be-crushed-easily-new-ideas-can-be/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [“War is all about deception, Etayne. If we’re going to face this army, I want to do it on ground we’ve chosen. On our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/war-is-all-about-deception-etayne-if-we-re-going-to-face-this-army-i/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [“Guilt is a Finder. It hunts and tracks us down, no matter how far we run.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/guilt-is-a-finder-it-hunts-and-tracks-us-down-no-matter-how-far-we-run/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [“Wisdom comes after the moment when it is most needed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/wisdom-comes-after-the-moment-when-it-is-most-needed/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [“It’s been my experience, Owen, that when everyone agrees on some point of fact, it tends to be the biggest deception of all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/it-s-been-my-experience-owen-that-when-everyone-agrees-on-some-point/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [“Owen saw the tray and smiled, nodding and gesturing to the desk. Kevan popped one of the berries into his mouth and blinked in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/owen-saw-the-tray-and-smiled-nodding-and-gesturing-to-the-desk-kevan/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [“Suffering is important. It teaches so much in a little bit of time. In much wisdom there is much grief. And those who increase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/suffering-is-important-it-teaches-so-much-in-a-little-bit-of-time-in/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [“You can judge a man by the way he treats those beneath him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/you-can-judge-a-man-by-the-way-he-treats-those-beneath-him/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [“It is the mind that makes the body rich. As the sun breaks through the darkest clouds, so does honor peer in the meanest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/it-is-the-mind-that-makes-the-body-rich-as-the-sun-breaks-through-the/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

[Explore all 115 Jeff Wheeler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

## More Artist quotes

> [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/)

[Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [“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

> [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/)

[St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/)

> [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 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/)

> [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/)

[Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/)

> [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/)

[Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/)

> [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/)

[Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/)

> [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

[Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“There is a story told about the sculptor Michelangelo. As he was chiseling the statue David out of a huge marble block, a young boy asked him, “How did you know he was in there?”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jeff Wheeler"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/there-is-a-story-told-about-the-sculptor-michelangelo-as-he-was/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Artist"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/there-is-a-story-told-about-the-sculptor-michelangelo-as-he-was/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/jeff-wheeler-3956_artist_there-is-a-story-told-about-the-sculptor_470099.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/jeff-wheeler-3956_artist_there-is-a-story-told-about-the-sculptor_470099.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/jeff-wheeler-3956_artist_there-is-a-story-told-about-the-sculptor_470099.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There is a story told about the sculptor Michelangelo. As he was chiseling the statue David out of a huge…” — Jeff Wheeler",
                "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": "Jeff Wheeler",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“There is a story told about...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/there-is-a-story-told-about-the-sculptor-michelangelo-as-he-was/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/there-is-a-story-told-about-the-sculptor-michelangelo-as-he-was/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
