--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No person who is not a great sculptor or…" description: "\"No person who is not a great sculptor or painter can be an architect. If he is not a sculptor or painter, he can only be a builder.\" — John Ruskin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5a/john-ruskin-314_architect_no-person-who-is-not-a-great-sculptor-or_1688710.jpg" --- # No person who is not a great sculptor or painter can be an… ![“No person who is not a great sculptor or painter can be an architect. If he is not a sculptor or painter, he can only be a builder.” quote by John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5a/john-ruskin-314_architect_no-person-who-is-not-a-great-sculptor-or_1688710.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5a/john-ruskin-314_architect_no-person-who-is-not-a-great-sculptor-or_1688710.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5a/john-ruskin-314_architect_no-person-who-is-not-a-great-sculptor-or_1688710.jpg) > “No person who is not a great sculptor or painter can be an architect. If he is not a sculptor or painter, he can only be a builder.” [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True architects must be artists; otherwise they are merely builders **In simple terms:** Architecture requires artistic skill Key Takeaway Cultivate artistic abilities in architecture Themes art architecture creativity Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - architectural education - design studios - urban planning - construction projects Key Concepts Aesthetic theory design philosophy visual arts Questions to Reflect On - Can technical skill compensate for lack of artistry? - How can architects integrate art without losing function? A Different Perspective Not all architects can be great artists ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Architect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/) [Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architecture/) [Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painter/) ## Related quotes > [As paradoxical as it may seem a great sculptor is as much a colourist as the best painter, or rather the best engraver. 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Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Richard Serra, the great sculptor, personifies an artist for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-rose/richard-serra-the-great-sculptor-personifies-an-artist-for-me/) [Charlie Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-rose/) > [This world is a great sculptor’s shop. We are the statues and there’s a rumor going around the shop that some of us are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-world-is-a-great-sculptor-s-shop-we-are-the-statues-and-there-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As an architect you are a builder. You are of course more than a builder. You need to be a militant, you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-piano/as-an-architect-you-are-a-builder-you-are-of-course-more-than-a/) [Renzo Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-piano/) > [The difference between a builder and an architect is that an architect also cares about desire, about dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-piano/the-difference-between-a-builder-and-an-architect-is-that-an/) [Renzo Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-piano/) > [All those involved in the construction of an architectural design, from the architect to the builder, have an attachment to the architecture, although it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadao-ando/all-those-involved-in-the-construction-of-an-architectural-design/) [Tadao Ando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadao-ando/) > [The genome was once thought to be just the blueprint for a living organism, like a combination of the architect's plan for a building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-mcgilchrist/the-genome-was-once-thought-to-be-just-the-blueprint-for-a-living/) [Iain McGilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-mcgilchrist/) > [Building a baseball team is like building a house. You look for the best architects, the best builders - and then you let them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-gillick/building-a-baseball-team-is-like-building-a-house-you-look-for-the/) [Pat Gillick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-gillick/) > [Don’t worry about being able to identify each of these plants (in your designs for clients). The world is full of botanists and horticulturists.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/don-t-worry-about-being-able-to-identify-each-of-these-plants-in-your/) [Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/) > [People are eternally divided into two classes, the believer, builder, and praiser...and the unbeliever, destroyer and critic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/people-are-eternally-divided-into-two-classes-the-believer-builder/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [An architect should live as little in cities as a painter. Send him to our hills, and let him study there what nature understands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/an-architect-should-live-as-little-in-cities-as-a-painter-send-him-to/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [In the eyes of empire builders men are not men but instruments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/in-the-eyes-of-empire-builders-men-are-not-men-but-instruments/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [The clatter of a changing world is not pleasant, and those who have enjoyed the comforts and protection of the old order may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/the-clatter-of-a-changing-world-is-not-pleasant-and-those-who-have/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) ## More by John Ruskin > [“Occult Theft,--Theft which hides itself even from itself, and is legal, respectable, and cowardly,--corrupts the body and soul of man, to the last fibre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/occult-theft-theft-which-hides-itself-even-from-itself-and-is-legal/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Mighty of heart, mighty of mind, magnanimous-to be this is indeed to be great in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/mighty-of-heart-mighty-of-mind-magnanimous-to-be-this-is-indeed-to-be/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Life is a magic vase filled to the brim, so made that you cannot dip from it nor draw from it; but it overflows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/life-is-a-magic-vase-filled-to-the-brim-so-made-that-you-cannot-dip/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [As in the instances of alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, and other such popular creeds, political economy, has a plausible idea at the root of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/as-in-the-instances-of-alchemy-astrology-witchcraft-and-other-such/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [I am far more provoked at being thought foolish by foolish people, than pleased at being thought sensible by sensible people; and the average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/i-am-far-more-provoked-at-being-thought-foolish-by-foolish-people/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [When we build ... let it not be for present delights nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/when-we-build-let-it-not-be-for-present-delights-nor-for-present-use/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [It is far more difficult to be simple than to be complicated; far more difficult to sacrifice skill and easy execution in the proper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-is-far-more-difficult-to-be-simple-than-to-be-complicated-far-more/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [It is a good and safe rule to sojourn in every place as if you meant to spend your life there, never omitting an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-is-a-good-and-safe-rule-to-sojourn-in-every-place-as-if-you-meant/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [“You may trust to the truth of my sympathy; but you must remember that I am engaged in the investigation of enormous religious and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/you-may-trust-to-the-truth-of-my-sympathy-but-you-must-remember-that/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [And remember, child, that nothing is ever done beautifully, which is done in rivalship; or nobly, which is done in pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/and-remember-child-that-nothing-is-ever-done-beautifully-which-is/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-s-unwise-to-pay-too-much-but-it-s-worse-to-pay-too-little/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [The world is full of vulgar Purists, who bring discredit on all selection by the silliness of their choice; and this the more, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-world-is-full-of-vulgar-purists-who-bring-discredit-on-all/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Like other beautiful things in this world, its end (that of a shaft) is to be beautiful; and, in proportion to its beauty, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/like-other-beautiful-things-in-this-world-its-end-that-of-a-shaft-is/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [All are to be men of genius in their degree,--rivulets or rivers, it does not matter, so that the souls be clear and pure;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/all-are-to-be-men-of-genius-in-their-degree-rivulets-or-rivers-it/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [The art of drawing which is of more real importance to the human race than that of writing...should be taught to every child just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-art-of-drawing-which-is-of-more-real-importance-to-the-human-race/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) [Explore all 696 John Ruskin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) ## More Architect quotes > [When I am asked what I believe in, I say that I believe in architecture. 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Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [When it comes to getting things done, we need fewer architects and more bricklayers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-it-comes-to-getting-things-done-we-need-fewer-architects-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/) [Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/) > [I was the chairman of the Budget Committee and the lead architect the last time it happened in Washington, and when we did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-budget-committee-and-the-lead-architect-the/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [The architect is very interesting because the architect is the commander, meaning the one who commands all the workers. 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I believe dynamics are more important: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/architects-in-the-past-have-tended-to-concentrate-their-attention-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was the chairman of the House Budget Committee and one of the chief architects the last time we balanced a budget, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-house-budget-committee-and-one-of-the-chief/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [No matter what an architect may be at home, he becomes a monumentalist when he comes to Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-louise-huxtable/no-matter-what-an-architect-may-be-at-home-he-becomes-a-monumentalist/) [Ada Louise Huxtable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-louise-huxtable/) > [As an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-foster/as-an-architect-you-design-for-the-present-with-an-awareness-of-the/) [Norman Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-foster/) [Browse all 836 Architect quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No person who is not a great sculptor or painter can be an architect. 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