Art Quote by Oscar Wilde
““The public make use of the classics of a country as a means of checking the progress of Art. They degrade the classics into authorities… A fresh mode of Beauty is absolutely distasteful to them, and whenever it appears they get so angry and bewildered that they always use two stupid expressions--one is that the work of art is grossly unintelligible; the other, that the work of art is grossly immoral. What they mean by these words seems to me to be this. When they say a work is grossly unintelligible, they mean that the artist has said or made a beautiful thing that is new; when they describe a work as grossly immoral, they mean that the artist has said or made a beautiful thing that is true.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Decay of Lying, 1891
Critics reject new art by labeling it incomprehensible or immoral, yet those labels mask a fear of novelty and truth.
In simple terms: Critics call new art unintelligible or immoral because it challenges them.
Key Takeaway
Understand criticism as fear of the new.
Themes
art criticism
conformity
truth
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- gallery openings
- art education
- creative workshops
Key Concepts
aesthetics
cultural resistance
social psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we label unfamiliar art as immoral?
- How can we better engage with challenging art?
A Different Perspective
Critics may also genuinely struggle with complex works.
