Beauty Quote by Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly
““Beauty is single. Only ugliness is multiple, and even then its multiplicity is soon exhausted.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Les Diaboliques, Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly, 1874
Singular beauty is pure; multiplicity leads to dilution and eventual exhaustion.
In simple terms: Too many variations weaken impact.
Key Takeaway
Embrace simplicity.
Themes
beauty
simplicity
exhaustion
Mood
contemplative
melancholic
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- design
- visual arts
- literature
- fashion
Key Concepts
aesthetic theory
philosophy of art
Questions to Reflect On
- When does complexity enhance beauty?
- How can you balance simplicity and depth?
A Different Perspective
Complexity can also enrich meaning for some audiences.
![“By exposing the multiplicity, the facticity, the repetition and stereotype at the heart of every aesthetic gesture, photography deconstructs the possibility of differentiating between the original and the copy. [Photography calls] into question the whole concept of the uniqueness of the art…” quote by Rosalind E. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3ba/rosalind-e-krauss-42138_aesthetic_by-exposing-the-multiplicity-the-factici_88008.jpg)
![“Now, Mesnilgrand saw himself come to full maturity without the great military career that he had hoped for, his sword rusting in its scabbard, his feelings swelling up into the bitterest kind of rage. [...] An ingenious moralist, preoccupid by how illogical our destinies appear to be, once…” quote by Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/83f/jules-barbey-d-aurevilly-26843_dissapointment_now-mesnilgrand-saw-himself-come-to-full_2278495.jpg)
