--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Good artists exist simply in what they…" description: "\"“Good artists exist simply in what they make, and consequently are perfectly uninteresting in what they are. A great poet, a really great poet, is the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff0/oscar-wilde-16_art_good-artists-exist-simply-in-what-they-m_241290.jpg" --- # Good artists exist simply in what they make, and… ![“Good artists exist simply in what they make, and consequently are perfectly uninteresting in what they are. A great poet, a really great poet, is the most unpoetical of all creatures. But inferior poets are absolutely fascinating.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff0/oscar-wilde-16_art_good-artists-exist-simply-in-what-they-m_241290.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff0/oscar-wilde-16_art_good-artists-exist-simply-in-what-they-m_241290.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff0/oscar-wilde-16_art_good-artists-exist-simply-in-what-they-m_241290.jpg) > ““Good artists exist simply in what they make, and consequently are perfectly uninteresting in what they are. A great poet, a really great poet, is the most unpoetical of all creatures. But inferior poets are absolutely fascinating.”” [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wilde argues that true artistic value lies in creation, not in the artist's persona; great poets are paradoxically unremarkable, while lesser poets intrigue more. **In simple terms:** Art is judged by its work, not the creator; great poets seem plain, lesser ones captivate. Key Takeaway Focus on the work itself, not the creator's image. Themes art criticism creativity humor Mood witty critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - literary analysis - creative writing - art education - media criticism Key Concepts aesthetic theory ego authenticity Questions to Reflect On - Does the creator's identity affect your appreciation? - Can simplicity be more powerful than fame? A Different Perspective Some may find the view dismissive of personal expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Good art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-art/) [Good Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-artists-322420/) [Great poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-poet/) [Inferior Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inferior-poets-322418/) [Poet Unpoetical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet-unpoetical-322419/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets/) ## Related quotes > [“Basil my dear boy puts everything that is charming in him into his work. 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A great poet, a really great poet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/good-artists-exist-simply-in-what-they-make-and-consequently-are-3/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [A great poet, a really great poet, is the most unpoetical of all creatures. But inferior poets are absolutely fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/a-great-poet-a-really-great-poet-is-the-most-unpoetical-of-all/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“A great poet, a really great poet, is the most unpoetical of creatures. But inferior poets are absolutely fascinating. The worse their rhymes are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/a-great-poet-a-really-great-poet-is-the-most-unpoetical-of-creatures/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The only artists I have ever known who are personally delightful are bad artists. 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I like seeing bad art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemima-kirke/but-i-m-interested-in-the-barnes-collection-in-philadelphia-i-hear/) [Jemima Kirke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemima-kirke/) > [Good artists exist in what they make, and consequently are perfectly uninteresting in what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/good-artists-exist-in-what-they-make-and-consequently-are-perfectly/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [Bad artists ignore the darkness of human existence. Good artists often get stuck there. Great artists embrace the full catastrophe of our condition and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bad-artists-ignore-the-darkness-of-human-existence-good-artists-often/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every man who is any kind of artist has a great deal of female in him. I act and give of myself as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-man-who-is-any-kind-of-artist-has-a-great-deal-of-female-in-him/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Oscar Wilde > [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-books-that-the-world-calls-immoral-are-the-books-that-show-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/bachelors-should-be-heavily-taxed-it-is-not-fair-that-some-men-should/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Who, being loved, is poor?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/who-being-loved-is-poor/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Basil my dear boy puts everything that is charming in him into his work. The consequence is that he has nothing left for life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/basil-my-dear-boy-puts-everything-that-is-charming-in-him-into-his/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Anybody can be good in the country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/anybody-can-be-good-in-the-country/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I don't at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. 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For these there is hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/those-who-find-beautiful-meanings-in-beautiful-things-are-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Men always want to be a womans first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a mans last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-always-want-to-be-a-womans-first-love-women-have-a-more-subtle/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/why-is-it-that-at-a-bachelor-s-establishment-the-servants-invariably/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. More than enough is as good as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/moderation-is-a-fatal-thing-enough-is-as-bad-as-a-meal-more-than/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm. Philosophies fall away like sand, creeds follow one another, but what is beautiful is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/beauty-is-the-only-thing-that-time-cannot-harm-philosophies-fall-away/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) [Explore all 3,343 Oscar Wilde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More Art quotes > [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/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. 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