--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Straight lines vary only in length, and…" description: "\"Straight lines vary only in length, and therefore are least ornamental.\" — William Hogarth" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/william-hogarth-42014_inspirational_straight-lines-vary-only-in-length-and-t_924153.jpg" --- # Straight lines vary only in length, and therefore are… ![“Straight lines vary only in length, and therefore are least ornamental.” quote by William Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/william-hogarth-42014_inspirational_straight-lines-vary-only-in-length-and-t_924153.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/william-hogarth-42014_inspirational_straight-lines-vary-only-in-length-and-t_924153.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/william-hogarth-42014_inspirational_straight-lines-vary-only-in-length-and-t_924153.jpg) > “Straight lines vary only in length, and therefore are least ornamental.” [William Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hogarth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Straight lines lack decorative flair; ornamentation comes from variation and complexity. **In simple terms:** Simple lines are plain. Key Takeaway Add variety for interest. Themes design aesthetics simplicity Mood analytical thoughtful Type artistic descriptive When to use this quote - graphic design - architecture - fashion - product packaging Key Concepts visual art minimalism Questions to Reflect On - When does minimalism serve a purpose? - How can you balance simplicity and ornament? A Different Perspective Simplicity can be powerful too. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Straight line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/straight-line/) ## Related quotes > [Look at Jane Austen. Her characters derive in a reasonably straight line from fairy tales.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/look-at-jane-austen-her-characters-derive-in-a-reasonably-straight/) [Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) > [The world is made of Circles And we think in straight Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/the-world-is-made-of-circles-and-we-think-in-straight-lines/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [One of the jobs of a writer is to add nuance and ambiguity to that straight line that people often draw to very specific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/one-of-the-jobs-of-a-writer-is-to-add-nuance-and-ambiguity-to-that/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [No straight lines make up my life; And all my roads have bends; There's no clear-cut beginnings; And so far no dead-ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/no-straight-lines-make-up-my-life-and-all-my-roads-have-bends-there-s/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [Everything is grounded in mystery. Everything is swimming, and the stable does not exist. Life is a series of guesses, and there is mystery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-de-casseres/everything-is-grounded-in-mystery-everything-is-swimming-and-the-2/) [Benjamin De Casseres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-de-casseres/) > [I honestly think that a Pavlik fight would be easier than Jones because styles make fights. He's one dimensional, comes in straight lines, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-calzaghe/i-honestly-think-that-a-pavlik-fight-would-be-easier-than-jones/) [Joe Calzaghe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-calzaghe/) > [The so called "progress," "time marching on," is not a straight line, but a pendulum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/the-so-called-progress-time-marching-on-is-not-a-straight-line-but-a/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [“At thee seaside all is narrow horizontals, the world reduced to a few long straight lines pressed between earth and sky.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-banville/at-thee-seaside-all-is-narrow-horizontals-the-world-reduced-to-a-few/) [John Banville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-banville/) > [If the earth were not round, heavy bodies would not tend from every side in a straight line towards the center of the earth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/if-the-earth-were-not-round-heavy-bodies-would-not-tend-from-every/) [Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/) > [History doesn't always move in a straight line. Sometimes it zigs and zags.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/history-doesn-t-always-move-in-a-straight-line-sometimes-it-zigs-and/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Common to the two geometries is only the general property of one-to-one correspondence, and the rule that this correspondence determines straight lines as shortest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-reichenbach/common-to-the-two-geometries-is-only-the-general-property-of-one-to/) [Hans Reichenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-reichenbach/) > [When you organize your work and look back at your entire production, it may feel like you're looking at a straight line, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vik-muniz/when-you-organize-your-work-and-look-back-at-your-entire-production/) [Vik Muniz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vik-muniz/) > [The song of the curved line is called happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-crevel/the-song-of-the-curved-line-is-called-happiness/) [Rene Crevel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-crevel/) > [A circle is a round straight line with a hole in the middle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-circle-is-a-round-straight-line-with-a-hole-in-the-middle/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [If you're lucky, you don't think in a straight line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-simmons/if-you-re-lucky-you-don-t-think-in-a-straight-line/) [Gene Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-simmons/) ## More by William Hogarth > [I have generally found that persons who had studied painting least were the best judges of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hogarth/i-have-generally-found-that-persons-who-had-studied-painting-least/) [William Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hogarth/) > [I think it is owing to the good sense of the English that they have not painted better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hogarth/i-think-it-is-owing-to-the-good-sense-of-the-english-that-they-have/) [William Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hogarth/) > [ I had rather, if cruelty has been prevented by the four prints \[The Four Stages of Cruelty\], be maker of them than of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hogarth/i-had-rather-if-cruelty-has-been-prevented-by-the-four-prints-the/) [William Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hogarth/) > [I turned my thoughts to a still more novel mode... to compose pictures on canvas similar to representations on the stage... my picture is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hogarth/i-turned-my-thoughts-to-a-still-more-novel-mode-to-compose-pictures/) [William Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hogarth/) > [The serpentine line, or the line of grace, by its waving and winding at the same time different ways, leads the eye in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hogarth/the-serpentine-line-or-the-line-of-grace-by-its-waving-and-winding-at/) [William Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hogarth/) > [All the world is competent to judge my pictures except those who are of my profession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hogarth/all-the-world-is-competent-to-judge-my-pictures-except-those-who-are/) [William Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hogarth/) > [Simplicity, without variety, is wholly insipid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hogarth/simplicity-without-variety-is-wholly-insipid/) [William Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hogarth/) > [I know no such thing as genius, — genius is nothing but labor and diligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hogarth/i-know-no-such-thing-as-genius-genius-is-nothing-but-labor-and/) [William Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hogarth/) > [Time is not a great artist but weakens all he touches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hogarth/time-is-not-a-great-artist-but-weakens-all-he-touches/) [William Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hogarth/) [Explore all 10 William Hogarth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hogarth/) ## More Inspirational quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We talk to God--that is prayer; God talks to us--that is inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/we-talk-to-god-that-is-prayer-god-talks-to-us-that-is-inspiration/) [H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/) > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [We never really perceive what color is physically!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-albers/we-never-really-perceive-what-color-is-physically/) [Josef Albers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-albers/) > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) [Browse all 114,561 Inspirational quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Straight lines vary only in length, and therefore are least ornamental.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Hogarth" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hogarth/straight-lines-vary-only-in-length-and-therefore-are-least-ornamental/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Inspirational" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hogarth/straight-lines-vary-only-in-length-and-therefore-are-least-ornamental/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/william-hogarth-42014_inspirational_straight-lines-vary-only-in-length-and-t_924153.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/william-hogarth-42014_inspirational_straight-lines-vary-only-in-length-and-t_924153.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/william-hogarth-42014_inspirational_straight-lines-vary-only-in-length-and-t_924153.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Straight lines vary only in length, and therefore are least ornamental.” — William Hogarth", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Hogarth", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hogarth/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Straight lines vary only in length,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hogarth/straight-lines-vary-only-in-length-and-therefore-are-least-ornamental/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hogarth/straight-lines-vary-only-in-length-and-therefore-are-least-ornamental/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```