Botticelli Quote by Marcel Proust
““Or she would look at him with a sullen expression, once again he would see before him a face worthy of figuring in Botticelli's Life of Moses, he would place her in it, he would give her neck the necessary inclination; and when he had well and truly painted her in distemper, in the fifteenth century, on the wall of the Sistine Chapel, the idea that she had nevertheless remained here, by the piano, in the present moment, ready to be kissed and possessed, the idea of her materiality and her life would intoxicate him with such force that, his eyes distracted, his jaw tensed as though to devour her, he would swoop down upon that Botticelli virgin and begin pinching her cheeks.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: In Search of Lost Time, 1913
Desire can cause the mind to project idealized images onto reality, blurring perception and leading to obsessive longing.
In simple terms: Desire distorts reality.
Key Takeaway
Recognize idealization in desire.
Themes
desire
art
perception
Mood
yearning
intense
Type
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- romantic pursuit
- artistic creation
- personal relationships
Key Concepts
idealization
obsession
projection
Questions to Reflect On
- What fantasies do you hold about others?
- How does art influence your desires?
A Different Perspective
Overidealization may cause disappointment when reality differs.
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