---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He only moves toward the perfection of…"
description: "\"He only moves toward the perfection of his art whose criticism surpasses his achievement.\" — Leonardo da Vinci"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/leonardo-da-vinci-330_achievement_he-only-moves-toward-the-perfection-of-h_269646.jpg"
---

#  He only moves toward the perfection of his art whose…

![“He only moves toward the perfection of his art whose criticism surpasses his achievement.” quote by Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/leonardo-da-vinci-330_achievement_he-only-moves-toward-the-perfection-of-h_269646.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/leonardo-da-vinci-330_achievement_he-only-moves-toward-the-perfection-of-h_269646.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/leonardo-da-vinci-330_achievement_he-only-moves-toward-the-perfection-of-h_269646.jpg)

> “He only moves toward the perfection of his art whose criticism surpasses his achievement.”

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

## About This Quote

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

True mastery comes when one's work exceeds the praise it receives.

**In simple terms:** Art should surpass its critics.

Key Takeaway

Strive for excellence beyond accolades.

Themes

perfectionism artistic integrity humility

Mood

reflective serious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- art exhibitions
- design projects
- writing drafts

Key Concepts

self‑assessment creative standards critical reception

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you know when a work is complete?
- Can criticism ever be a reliable gauge of quality?

A Different Perspective

Perfectionism can cause paralysis and endless self‑critique.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-criticism-430870/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Criticism Surpasses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism-surpasses-2638594/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Perfection Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection-art-1862013/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/)

## Related quotes

> [One of the weirdest things that happened to artists and art criticism was this moment when everyone got cynical and stopped believing in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/one-of-the-weirdest-things-that-happened-to-artists-and-art-criticism/)

[Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/)

> [Perhaps art criticism cannot be reformed in a logical sense because it was never well-formed in the first place. Art criticism has long been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-elkins/perhaps-art-criticism-cannot-be-reformed-in-a-logical-sense-because/)

[James Elkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-elkins/)

> [I don't have a very high opinion, actually, of the world of criticism - or the practice of criticism. I think I admire art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/i-don-t-have-a-very-high-opinion-actually-of-the-world-of-criticism/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [First one gets works of art, then criticism of them, then criticism of the criticism, and, finally, a book on The Literary Situation ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/first-one-gets-works-of-art-then-criticism-of-them-then-criticism-of/)

[Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/)

> [All art is in the last analysis an endeavor to condense as out of the flying vapor of the world an image of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/all-art-is-in-the-last-analysis-an-endeavor-to-condense-as-out-of-the/)

[William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/)

> [The perfection of art is to conceal the sources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/the-perfection-of-art-is-to-conceal-the-sources/)

[Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/)

> [The perfection of art is to conceal art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quintilian/the-perfection-of-art-is-to-conceal-art/)

[Quintilian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quintilian/)

> [“It seemed to him that the hand was not able to attain to the perfection of art in carrying out the things which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/it-seemed-to-him-that-the-hand-was-not-able-to-attain-to-the/)

[Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/)

> [It is in this power of saying everything, and yet saying nothing too plainly, that the perfection of art consists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-is-in-this-power-of-saying-everything-and-yet-saying-nothing-too/)

[John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/)

> [Surely the novel should be a form of art - but art was not enough. It must contain not only the perfection of art,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/surely-the-novel-should-be-a-form-of-art-but-art-was-not-enough-it/)

[Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/)

> [The perfection of an art consists in the employment of a comprehensive system of laws, commensurate to every purpose within its scope, but concealed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mason-good/the-perfection-of-an-art-consists-in-the-employment-of-a/)

[John Mason Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mason-good/)

> [“Perfection in art is a crime against humanity. Perfect humanity in crime is art”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/perfection-in-art-is-a-crime-against-humanity-perfect-humanity-in/)

[Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/)

> [The universe has no mind and that's why it can never reach perfection! Perfection is the art of meticulous high-mind!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-universe-has-no-mind-and-that-s-why-it-can-never-reach-perfection/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [When we speak of the perfection of art, we must recollect what the materials are with which a painter contends with nature. For the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/when-we-speak-of-the-perfection-of-art-we-must-recollect-what-the/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [It is only through Art and through Art only that we can realize our perfection; Through Art and art only that we can shield…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-is-only-through-art-and-through-art-only-that-we-can-realize-our/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

## More by Leonardo da Vinci

> [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/a-painter-should-begin-every-canvas-with-a-wash-of-black-because-all/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [Nothing can be love or hated unless it is first known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/nothing-can-be-love-or-hated-unless-it-is-first-known/)

[Leonardo Da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [An arch consists of two weaknesses which, leaning one against the other, make a strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/an-arch-consists-of-two-weaknesses-which-leaning-one-against-the/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [But to me all sciences seem vain and full of error that are not born of experience, mother of all certainty, and do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/but-to-me-all-sciences-seem-vain-and-full-of-error-that-are-not-born/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [“Time stays long enough for those who use it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/time-stays-long-enough-for-those-who-use-it/)

[Leonardo Da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [It is ordained that to the ambitious, who derive no satisfaction from the gifts of life and the beauty of the world, life shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/it-is-ordained-that-to-the-ambitious-who-derive-no-satisfaction-from/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [Be a mirror, absorb everything around you and still remain the same](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/be-a-mirror-absorb-everything-around-you-and-still-remain-the-same/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [Your brain is much better than you think; just use it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/your-brain-is-much-better-than-you-think-just-use-it/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [Necessity is a guardian in Nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/necessity-is-a-guardian-in-nature/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does nature because in her inventions nothing is lacking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/human-subtlety-will-never-devise-an-invention-more-beautiful-more/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/people-reveal-themselves-completely-only-when-they-are-thrown-out-of/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [To be a winner you must want to win but must know of the chance of losing and must not fear of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/to-be-a-winner-you-must-want-to-win-but-must-know-of-the-chance-of/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [Nature is so delightful and abundant in its variations that among trees of the same kind there would not be found one which nearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/nature-is-so-delightful-and-abundant-in-its-variations-that-among/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [Wisdom is the daughter of experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/wisdom-is-the-daughter-of-experience/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

[Explore all 664 Leonardo da Vinci quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

## More Achievement quotes

> [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

[Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/)

> [Needs cause motivation. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/)

[Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [It's tragic what America has become because there is a great segment of society that now resents luxury and success and achievement by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/it-s-tragic-what-america-has-become-because-there-is-a-great-segment/)

[Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/)

> [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/)

[Chaz Brenchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-brenchley/)

> [The main substantive achievement of neoliberalism has been to redistribute rather than to generate wealth and income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/the-main-substantive-achievement-of-neoliberalism-has-been-to/)

[David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/)

> [Every profession has an ideology and a drive for power that goes far beyond its achievements and it is the task of democracy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/every-profession-has-an-ideology-and-a-drive-for-power-that-goes-far/)

[Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/)

> [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. But it seems that some people are trying to push the same agenda of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/we-have-internet-now-and-people-are-not-stupid-but-it-seems-that-some/)

[Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/)

> [“If you find a way where there seems to be no way, that’s what we call miracle, not personal achievement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/if-you-find-a-way-where-there-seems-to-be-no-way-that-s-what-we-call/)

[Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/)

> [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/)

[Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/)

> [Cease speaking of enemies when an achievement can kindle a great light. Solitude will transmit the message better than the murmurs of crowds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-roerich/cease-speaking-of-enemies-when-an-achievement-can-kindle-a-great/)

[Nicholas Roerich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-roerich/)

> [Every scene is a challenge. There are technical challenges, but often it's the simplest challenge where you feel a sense of achievement when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/every-scene-is-a-challenge-there-are-technical-challenges-but-often/)

[Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/)

[Browse all 3,867 Achievement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "He only moves toward the perfection of his art whose criticism surpasses his achievement.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Leonardo da Vinci"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/he-only-moves-toward-the-perfection-of-his-art-whose-criticism/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achievement"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/he-only-moves-toward-the-perfection-of-his-art-whose-criticism/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/leonardo-da-vinci-330_achievement_he-only-moves-toward-the-perfection-of-h_269646.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/leonardo-da-vinci-330_achievement_he-only-moves-toward-the-perfection-of-h_269646.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/leonardo-da-vinci-330_achievement_he-only-moves-toward-the-perfection-of-h_269646.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He only moves toward the perfection of his art whose criticism surpasses his achievement.” — Leonardo da Vinci",
                "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": "Leonardo da Vinci",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "He only moves toward the perfection...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/he-only-moves-toward-the-perfection-of-his-art-whose-criticism/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/he-only-moves-toward-the-perfection-of-his-art-whose-criticism/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
