Artist Quote by Leonardo da Vinci
““How may paintings have preserved the image of a divine beauty which in its natural manifestation has been rapidly overtaken by time or death. Thus, the work of the painter is nobler than that of nature, its mistress.””
About This Quote
Source Treat: Treatise on Painting, 1500s
Artists capture divine beauty more enduringly than nature, which fades with time and death.
In simple terms: Artists preserve divine beauty longer than nature.
Key Takeaway
Value artistic creation for its lasting impact.
Themes
art
beauty
eternity
nature
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- museum curation
- art education
- creative inspiration
Key Concepts
aesthetics
philosophy of art
Questions to Reflect On
- What makes art more enduring than nature?
- Can nature be preserved through other means?
A Different Perspective
May overstate nature's role in beauty.
![“...[K]now that however ugly the parts appear the whole remains beautiful. A severed hand Is an ugly thing, and man dissevered from the earth and stars and his history... for contemplation or in fact... Often appears atrociously ugly. Integrity is wholeness, the greatest beauty is Organic…” quote by Robinson Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/25f/robinson-jeffers-8592_beautiful_k-now-that-however-ugly-the-parts-appear_573991.jpg)
![“The world of ideas which it [mathematics] discloses or illuminates, the contemplation of divine beauty and order which it induces, the harmonious connexion of its parts, the infinite hierarchy and absolute evidence of the truths with which it is concerned, these, and such like, are the surest…” quote by James Joseph Sylvester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e72/james-joseph-sylvester-23602_absolutes_the-world-of-ideas-which-it-mathematics_338576.jpg)
