--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If that one is already a great artist…" description: "\"If that one is already a great artist, who knows how to educe from a small piece of wood the face of a king or of a queen, an ant or a camel, how great..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/nicholas-of-cusa-14312_able_if-that-one-is-already-a-great-artist-wh_1139003.png" --- # If that one is already a great artist, who knows how to… ![“If that one is already a great artist, who knows how to educe from a small piece of wood the face of a king or of a queen, an ant or a camel, how great then is the mastery which can form as actuality everything which is in all potentiality? Therefore, God, who is able to produce from the most…” quote by Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/nicholas-of-cusa-14312_able_if-that-one-is-already-a-great-artist-wh_1139003.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/nicholas-of-cusa-14312_able_if-that-one-is-already-a-great-artist-wh_1139003.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/nicholas-of-cusa-14312_able_if-that-one-is-already-a-great-artist-wh_1139003.png) > “If that one is already a great artist, who knows how to educe from a small piece of wood the face of a king or of a queen, an ant or a camel, how great then is the mastery which can form as actuality everything which is in all potentiality? Therefore, God, who is able to produce from the most minute piece of matter the similitude of all forms which can be in this world and in infinitely many worlds, is of admirable subtlety.” [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights the profound skill of turning tiny, vague material into fully realized forms, illustrating divine subtlety in shaping reality from potential. **In simple terms:** Great skill turns tiny material into full forms, showing divine subtlety. Key Takeaway Recognize the power of subtle transformation. Themes creativity potential divine craftsmanship philosophy metaphysics Mood awe inspiration contemplative Type philosophical inspirational metaphysical When to use this quote - artistic creation - scientific modeling - spiritual contemplation - design thinking Key Concepts potentiality actualization subtlety formation divine power Questions to Reflect On - How can we apply subtle transformation in everyday problem solving? - What limits exist when turning potential into reality? A Different Perspective It may overlook practical limits of material constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actuality/) [Ants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Camels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camels/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Great art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-art/) [Great artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-artist/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Mastery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mastery/) [Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woods/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Roman civilization had achieved, within the bounds of its technology, relatively as great a mastery of time and space as we have achieved today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/roman-civilization-had-achieved-within-the-bounds-of-its-technology/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [For our intellectual spirit has the power of fire in itself. For no other purpose is it sent by God to the earth than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/for-our-intellectual-spirit-has-the-power-of-fire-in-itself-for-no/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [They cut us up like boarding house pie. And that's real small pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-royal/they-cut-us-up-like-boarding-house-pie-and-that-s-real-small-pieces/) [Darrell Royal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-royal/) > [When you're playing a real character, you want to honor that person and receive inspiration from that person. They need to anoint you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-toussaint/when-you-re-playing-a-real-character-you-want-to-honor-that-person/) [Lorraine Toussaint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-toussaint/) > [ Malcolm X had a habit of scribbling notes in small pieces of paper that \[Alex\] Haley would surreptitiously pick up at the end of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manning-marable/malcolm-x-had-a-habit-of-scribbling-notes-in-small-pieces-of-paper/) [Manning Marable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manning-marable/) > [We cannot build a viable state with a country that is disintegrating into small pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-abbas/we-cannot-build-a-viable-state-with-a-country-that-is-disintegrating/) [Mahmoud Abbas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-abbas/) > [“Gather up all the small pieces of life and make a Big difference. ~Janiece Rendon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janiece-rendon/gather-up-all-the-small-pieces-of-life-and-make-a-big-difference/) [Janiece Rendon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janiece-rendon/) > [ I \[had\] added another small piece to the pages of the atlas that were real to me. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/i-had-added-another-small-piece-to-the-pages-of-the-atlas-that-were/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [You should look at stocks as small pieces of business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/you-should-look-at-stocks-as-small-pieces-of-business/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [I prayed only for a small piece of land, a garden, an ever-flowing spring, and bit of woods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/i-prayed-only-for-a-small-piece-of-land-a-garden-an-ever-flowing/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Say what you want without saying it yourself: quote. 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It's a small piece of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-cox/when-the-guy-says-go-you-start-to-suffer-or-you-might-as-well-not-be/) Aaron Cox > [ Our revolution is like Wikipedia, okay? Everyone is contributing content, \[but\] you don't know the names of the people contributing the content. This is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wael-ghonim/our-revolution-is-like-wikipedia-okay-everyone-is-contributing/) [Wael Ghonim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wael-ghonim/) ## More by Nicholas of Cusa > [God says to man: 'Be thou thyself, and I shall be thine.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/god-says-to-man-be-thou-thyself-and-i-shall-be-thine/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [All visible things would not claim as their king some color of their region, which is actually among the visible things of this region,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/all-visible-things-would-not-claim-as-their-king-some-color-of-their/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [There are not many beginnings but there is a single Beginning, prior to multitude. But if you were to say that the beginnings are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/there-are-not-many-beginnings-but-there-is-a-single-beginning-prior/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [Within itself the soul sees all things more truly than as they exist in different things outside itself. And the more it goes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/within-itself-the-soul-sees-all-things-more-truly-than-as-they-exist/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [Divinity is in all things in such a way that all things are in divinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/divinity-is-in-all-things-in-such-a-way-that-all-things-are-in/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [In humility alone lies true greatness, and knowledge and wisdom are profitable only in so far as our lives are governed by them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/in-humility-alone-lies-true-greatness-and-knowledge-and-wisdom-are/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [All we know of the truth is that the absolute truth, such as it is, is beyond our reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/all-we-know-of-the-truth-is-that-the-absolute-truth-such-as-it-is-is/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [You are therefore able to run on this path, on which God is found above all vision, hearing, taste, touch, smell, speech, sense, rationality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/you-are-therefore-able-to-run-on-this-path-on-which-god-is-found/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [Thou art merciful; when all my endeavour is turned toward Thee because all Thy endeavour is turned toward me; when I look unto Thee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/thou-art-merciful-when-all-my-endeavour-is-turned-toward-thee-because/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [Through itself the soul arrives at all harmony that is perceptible in otherness-just as through what is internal the soul arrives at what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/through-itself-the-soul-arrives-at-all-harmony-that-is-perceptible-in/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [We see that God has implanted in all things a natural desire to exist with the fullest measure of existence that is compatible with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/we-see-that-god-has-implanted-in-all-things-a-natural-desire-to-exist/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [The rational is apprehended through the intellect, however, the intellect is not found in the region of the rational; the intellect is as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/the-rational-is-apprehended-through-the-intellect-however-the/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [All things are in the intended endpoint, and this mode of being is called will or desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/all-things-are-in-the-intended-endpoint-and-this-mode-of-being-is/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [ Every angle acknowledges that it is a likeness of true angularity, for \[each angle\] is angle not insofar as angle exists in itself but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/every-angle-acknowledges-that-it-is-a-likeness-of-true-angularity-for/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [For reason's measurements, which attain unto temporal things, do not attain unto things that are free from time-just as hearing does not attain unto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/for-reason-s-measurements-which-attain-unto-temporal-things-do-not/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) [Explore all 47 Nicholas of Cusa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. 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