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No artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style.
Oscar Wilde
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Wilde suggests that artists should not be confined by moral obligations in their work.

In this quote, Oscar Wilde argues that true artistry should be free from the constraints of ethical considerations. He perceives ethical sympathy as a limitation that distorts an artist's style, suggesting that creativity thrives in the absence of such moral encumbrances. The implication is that artists should prioritize their unique expressions over societal expectations or moral judgments.

Themes

ArtCreativityEthicsFreedomExpression

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in an art critique to emphasize the importance of creative freedom.

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Everything is dangerous, my dear fellow. If it wasn't so, life wouldn't be worth living.
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When one has never heard a man's name in the course of one's life, it speaks volumes for him; he must be quite respectable.
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A truth ceases to be true when more than one person believes in it.
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His morality is all sympathy, just what morality should be
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