--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is only one Art, whose sole…" description: "\"There is only one Art, whose sole criterion is the power, the authenticity, the revelatory insight, the courage and suggestiveness with which it seeks ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df8/vaclav-havel-2013_art_there-is-only-one-art-whose-sole-criteri_3158662.jpg" --- # There is only one Art, whose sole criterion is the power… ![“There is only one Art, whose sole criterion is the power, the authenticity, the revelatory insight, the courage and suggestiveness with which it seeks its truth.” quote by Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df8/vaclav-havel-2013_art_there-is-only-one-art-whose-sole-criteri_3158662.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df8/vaclav-havel-2013_art_there-is-only-one-art-whose-sole-criteri_3158662.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df8/vaclav-havel-2013_art_there-is-only-one-art-whose-sole-criteri_3158662.jpg) > “There is only one Art, whose sole criterion is the power, the authenticity, the revelatory insight, the courage and suggestiveness with which it seeks its truth.” [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True art is judged by its ability to reveal truth, inspire courage, and suggest new perspectives. **In simple terms:** Art’s value lies in truth, courage, and insight. Key Takeaway Seek authentic, daring art. Themes art truth courage creativity insight Mood inspirational critical Type philosophical artistic When to use this quote - gallery visits - creative writing - film critique - activist projects Key Concepts aesthetic philosophical political Questions to Reflect On - How does art influence personal belief? - What makes art truly powerful? A Different Perspective Art may be censored or misunderstood. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Authenticity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authenticity/) [Authenticity Revelatory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authenticity-revelatory-5700575/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courage Suggestiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-suggestiveness-5700576/) [Criteria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criteria/) [Insight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insight/) [Power Authenticity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-authenticity-5700578/) [Sole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sole/) [Sole Criterion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sole-criterion-5700577/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [There is only one art, whose sole criterion is the power, the authenticity, the revelatory insight, the courage and suggestiveness with which it seeks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/there-is-only-one-art-whose-sole-criterion-is-the-power-the/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [The whole concept of higher education is negated unless the sole criterion used to determine if students qualify is the grades they score on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/the-whole-concept-of-higher-education-is-negated-unless-the-sole/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Profit is the sole criterion used by the establishment to evaluate economic activity. From the rat race to lame ducks. The vocabulary in vogue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-reid/profit-is-the-sole-criterion-used-by-the-establishment-to-evaluate/) [Jimmy Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-reid/) > [Modern science kills God and takes his place on the vacant throne. Science is the sole legitimate arbiter of all relavent truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/modern-science-kills-god-and-takes-his-place-on-the-vacant-throne/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [A system is empirical or scientific only if it is capable of being tested by experience. 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There is something, therefore, in true beauty that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-grenville/the-criterion-of-true-beauty-is-that-it-increases-in-examination-of/) [George Grenville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-grenville/) > [First of all the criteria that I have that goes into any career decision is whether or not I have the life experience, emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/first-of-all-the-criteria-that-i-have-that-goes-into-any-career/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [Every man will have his own criterion in forming his judgment of others. I depend very much on the effect of affliction. I consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cecil/every-man-will-have-his-own-criterion-in-forming-his-judgment-of/) [Richard Cecil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cecil/) > [The major caveat in all of comedy is that it's all instinctive. There's no true criteria. There is no right or wrong. 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Hope is just a feeling that life and work have a meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/hope-is-not-a-feeling-of-certainty-that-everything-ends-well-hope-is/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [This is a confusing and uncertain period, when a thousand wise words can go completely unnoticed, and one thoughtless word can provoke an utterly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/this-is-a-confusing-and-uncertain-period-when-a-thousand-wise-words/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [If by believing you mean praying to an anthropomorphic deity who created the world and half controls it and half observes it, then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/if-by-believing-you-mean-praying-to-an-anthropomorphic-deity-who/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [Human beings are compelled to live within a lie, but they can be compelled to do so only because they are in fact capable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/human-beings-are-compelled-to-live-within-a-lie-but-they-can-be/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [Our country, if that is what we want, can now permanently radiate love, understanding, the power of the spirit and of ideas. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/our-country-if-that-is-what-we-want-can-now-permanently-radiate-love/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [I cannot imagine that I could strive for something if I did not carry hope in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/i-cannot-imagine-that-i-could-strive-for-something-if-i-did-not-carry/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [People, your Government has returned to you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/people-your-government-has-returned-to-you/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [A person who has been seduced by the consumer value system, whose identity is dissolved in an amalgam of the accouterments trappings of mass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/a-person-who-has-been-seduced-by-the-consumer-value-system-whose/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [Whether all is really lost or not depends entirely on whether or not I am lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/whether-all-is-really-lost-or-not-depends-entirely-on-whether-or-not/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [Sober perseverance is more effective than enthusiastic emotions, which are all too capable of being transferred, with little difficulty, to something different each day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/sober-perseverance-is-more-effective-than-enthusiastic-emotions-which/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [The exercise of power is determined by thousands of interactions between the world of the powerful and that of the powerless, all the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/the-exercise-of-power-is-determined-by-thousands-of-interactions/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [It's not true that you should first think up an idea for a better world and only then "put it into practice," but, rather,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/it-s-not-true-that-you-should-first-think-up-an-idea-for-a-better/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) [Explore all 190 Vaclav Havel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) ## 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. 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