---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Curating isn't just a matter of taste. It…"
description: "\"Curating isn't just a matter of taste. It involves building up real knowledge of the items in your care. As the world gets quicker, and shallower, and ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/lucy-worsley-5457_artist_curating-isn-t-just-a-matter-of-taste-it_2158075.jpg"
---

#  Curating isn't just a matter of taste. It involves…

![“Curating isn't just a matter of taste. It involves building up real knowledge of the items in your care. As the world gets quicker, and shallower, and bite-sized, retaining our ability to take a deep dive into history is more and more important.” quote by Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/lucy-worsley-5457_artist_curating-isn-t-just-a-matter-of-taste-it_2158075.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/lucy-worsley-5457_artist_curating-isn-t-just-a-matter-of-taste-it_2158075.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/lucy-worsley-5457_artist_curating-isn-t-just-a-matter-of-taste-it_2158075.jpg)

> “Curating isn't just a matter of taste. It involves building up real knowledge of the items in your care. As the world gets quicker, and shallower, and bite-sized, retaining our ability to take a deep dive into history is more and more important.”

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

## About This Quote

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

Curating requires deep knowledge, not just personal taste, especially as society favors quick, shallow consumption.

**In simple terms:** Curating needs knowledge beyond taste.

Key Takeaway

Invest time in learning your collection.

Themes

curation knowledge depth culture history

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

educational reflective

When to use this quote

- museum work
- archival research
- personal collecting
- educational programming

Key Concepts

Museology epistemology information overload

Questions to Reflect On

- How can curators balance depth with public attention?
- What strategies help retain deep historical insight?

A Different Perspective

Depth takes time, which may clash with fast-paced demands.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Real knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-knowledge/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [You have to be able to deep dive and know your stuff, otherwise you'll get called out on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-taylor/you-have-to-be-able-to-deep-dive-and-know-your-stuff-otherwise-you-ll/)

[Maria Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-taylor/)

> [A lot of people would say history is important because it helps us to predict the future. I don't think that it does particularly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/a-lot-of-people-would-say-history-is-important-because-it-helps-us-to/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [The grand sweep of constitutional or political history is important, but a detailed history of daily life also gives you a wonderful insight into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/the-grand-sweep-of-constitutional-or-political-history-is-important/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [“There are only three important events to history; by important I mean that these three events eclipse all others. These three events, I believe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-davis/there-are-only-three-important-events-to-history-by-important-i-mean/)

[Patrick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-davis/)

> [We all have choices in history. Some are more important than others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/we-all-have-choices-in-history-some-are-more-important-than-others/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [If you really want to be part of something and you have that much passion towards it, you'll know enough to research it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-miret/if-you-really-want-to-be-part-of-something-and-you-have-that-much/)

[Roger Miret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-miret/)

> [Part of why history is so important in my life is because it brings you an awareness that everything isn't new. It gives context…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yara-shahidi/part-of-why-history-is-so-important-in-my-life-is-because-it-brings/)

[Yara Shahidi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yara-shahidi/)

> [Our Civil War history is important, but it belongs in textbooks and museums - not a place of allegiance on our Capitol grounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-cooper/our-civil-war-history-is-important-but-it-belongs-in-textbooks-and/)

[Roy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-cooper/)

> [Artists are part of the information process... Visual history is important in providing a record of what is going on - levels of intention,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-golub/artists-are-part-of-the-information-process-visual-history-is/)

[Leon Golub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-golub/)

> [Economic history is the most fundamental branch of history; not the most important. Foundations exist to carry better things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-clapham/economic-history-is-the-most-fundamental-branch-of-history-not-the/)

John Clapham

> [History has become more important than ever because of the to unprecedented ability of the historical sciences to take in man's life on earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-kazin/history-has-become-more-important-than-ever-because-of-the-to/)

[Alfred Kazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-kazin/)

> [History is important. If you don't know history it is as if you were born yesterday. And if you were born yesterday, anybody up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/history-is-important-if-you-don-t-know-history-it-is-as-if-you-were/)

[Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/)

> [I'm a person who enjoys history, and history is very important to us - very very important it's about making judgement on history. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-hoyle/i-m-a-person-who-enjoys-history-and-history-is-very-important-to-us/)

[Lindsay Hoyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-hoyle/)

> [I actually think history doesn't repeat itself. There are recurrent themes, but they're repeated with variations. Each time there's an immigration crisis, a threat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-hughes-hallett/i-actually-think-history-doesn-t-repeat-itself-there-are-recurrent/)

[Lucy Hughes-Hallett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-hughes-hallett/)

> [“History is so important. It has been said that the three most important words in the English language are “remember, remember, remember.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-richards/history-is-so-important-it-has-been-said-that-the-three-most/)

Carl Richards

## More by Lucy Worsley

> [What truly gives me joy is when I get a letter from a young woman who says they saw a programme, then read a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/what-truly-gives-me-joy-is-when-i-get-a-letter-from-a-young-woman-who/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [Lots of items that survive from the past are high-status, valuable things that people have treasured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/lots-of-items-that-survive-from-the-past-are-high-status-valuable/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [It's our job as curators to open up Hampton Court to visitors, and to look after the buildings and collections for the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/it-s-our-job-as-curators-to-open-up-hampton-court-to-visitors-and-to/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [My first time skiing was in Vail, Colorado. It was brilliant fun until I whacked myself in the face with my ski pole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/my-first-time-skiing-was-in-vail-colorado-it-was-brilliant-fun-until/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [If you work as a curator, as I do, at Hampton Court, you sometimes wonder if there might be more to life than Henry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/if-you-work-as-a-curator-as-i-do-at-hampton-court-you-sometimes/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [I think you can be happy every day, if you are in the flow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/i-think-you-can-be-happy-every-day-if-you-are-in-the-flow/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [Windows will grow smaller again and houses will contain much less glass - not only because of the high energy costs of glass but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/windows-will-grow-smaller-again-and-houses-will-contain-much-less/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [In big museums, the role of the curator has shrunk in recent years as different branches of curatorial work - such as interpretation, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/in-big-museums-the-role-of-the-curator-has-shrunk-in-recent-years-as/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [My favorite thing is talking to people about history - that's what I like doing. The sort of history I do isn't just for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/my-favorite-thing-is-talking-to-people-about-history-that-s-what-i/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [I don't want to be definitive or the last word on anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/i-don-t-want-to-be-definitive-or-the-last-word-on-anything/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [I want to look like I'm friendly, approachable and jolly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/i-want-to-look-like-i-m-friendly-approachable-and-jolly/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [My parents weren't keen on me watching television when I was growing up, in the 70s and 80s, which is ironic given that I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/my-parents-weren-t-keen-on-me-watching-television-when-i-was-growing/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [I am a museum curator when I am not on the television and in our collection at Kensington Palace we have a book like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/i-am-a-museum-curator-when-i-am-not-on-the-television-and-in-our/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [My dad wanted me to be a scientist and I was set to study science A-levels. But after the first term I realised it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/my-dad-wanted-me-to-be-a-scientist-and-i-was-set-to-study-science-a/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

> [A Georgian man's shirt had a long tail, which he tucked between his legs rather like a nappy. Over it went his 'breech liners',…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/a-georgian-man-s-shirt-had-a-long-tail-which-he-tucked-between-his/)

[Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

[Explore all 100 Lucy Worsley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/)

## 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": "Curating isn't just a matter of taste. It involves building up real knowledge of the items in your care. As the world gets quicker, and shallower, and bite-sized, retaining our ability to take a deep dive into history is more and more important.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lucy Worsley"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/curating-isn-t-just-a-matter-of-taste-it-involves-building-up-real/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Artist"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/curating-isn-t-just-a-matter-of-taste-it-involves-building-up-real/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/lucy-worsley-5457_artist_curating-isn-t-just-a-matter-of-taste-it_2158075.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/lucy-worsley-5457_artist_curating-isn-t-just-a-matter-of-taste-it_2158075.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/lucy-worsley-5457_artist_curating-isn-t-just-a-matter-of-taste-it_2158075.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Curating isn't just a matter of taste. It involves building up real knowledge of the items in your care. As…” — Lucy Worsley",
                "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": "Lucy Worsley",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Curating isn't just a matter of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/curating-isn-t-just-a-matter-of-taste-it-involves-building-up-real/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/curating-isn-t-just-a-matter-of-taste-it-involves-building-up-real/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
